Friends for Life – Friends for Real
by Evilevergreen
Summary: WIP -:- They had what no force on Earth could divide, be it up or down, right or wrong, they counted on a childhood vow to see them through, but now time has taken its toll and nothing can ever be the same. ::V1::
1. Just an Average Day

**Friends for Life - Friends for Real  
**By Evilevergreen**  
**

**Summary**: "We all harbor dark secrets," was what he once told her, but little did she know that those same secrets would lead them to a world full of magic, lies, betrayal, and worst of all. . . love. Follow Jake, Spud, and Trixie through an epic tale that will test the bonds of their friendship, and the strength of a vow made long ago.

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Posted: October 9, 2005 

**Chapter One**: Just an Average Day

_"If you go through with this," Trixie's tone was pleading, but firm. "I will never forgive you and neither will Jake."_

_"Well, then," Spud's voice was eerily calm as he spoke, so much so that it sent a chill down Trixie's spine. "I guess this is finally where we part ways." He turned around, leaving her where she stood._

_"Spud, wait!" she yelled desperately, as she lunged forward and grabbed onto his sleeve._

_"Spud is gone!" he turned back and yelled as he violently tore himself away from her. "The name is Arthur," he spat, as he narrowed his eyes and looked upon her as if she were nothing more than something stuck at the bottom of his shoe. "Because you killed Spud the moment you turned your back on him."_

_"Please, understand I never meant. . ." her voice trailed off, tears threatening to fall as she looked into the burning eyes of this stranger before her. Who was this man? This could not be the boy she had grown up with. Where was the sweet, simply Spud she had once known? The boy she had come to adore? Did he even exist or was it all just an act? No, she wouldn't believe it so. "I love you," the words slipped from Trixie's mouth in a breathless whisper. The Spud she knew had to exist. . . he just had to._

_Spud's eyes softened at her admission, the admission he had been waiting so long to hear. He stared at her momentarily before reaching out his hand so that he could take her face gently in his touch. "Trixie, I-" he began, but he stopped mid-way in his reach for her before dropping his hand back to his side and balling it up into a fist. He then turned his head as he lowered it towards the ground. He began walking backwards, letting the shadows cover his form from Trixie's view. "I wish, I could still say the same," he replied sadly before he disappeared in the cover of darkness._

OoOoO

"Jake, if you don't get your boney ass down here!" yelled Trixie at the bottom of the stairs of the Long home.

"Will you chill, Trix?" the seventeen year old Jake Long called from upstairs, in the bathroom, as he put on the finishing touches to his over gelled hair. "You know I got to look good for the ladies." He chuckled to himself.

Trixie leaned on the banister as she crossed her arms and huffed impatiently. She then looked to her watch again for the seventh time in five minutes. "We're already late for Spud's competition."

"Alright, I'm coming. I'm coming." Jake grabbed his house keys before making his way towards one of his best friends. "How many times do I have to remind you that you can't rush perfection?"

"Oh please, Jakey," she grabbed his arm and practically pulled him out the door. "Give it a break. You ain't that fine."

"Blasphemy!" he yelled in mock shock as the two headed out the door and walked a few blocks down to catch the train across town.

As they sat, Trixie pulled out her new PDA, which had been a gift from her father, so that she could schedule the upcoming days. "You know, since you've gotten that thing, you have been driving me up the wall." Jake grabbed it from her hands.

"Hey," she yelled in protest, as Jake held it out of her reach. "Well, that's funny, considering you've still been late to everything." She reached for the device, only to have Jake pull it away again. "Look here dragon boy," she whispered. "If you know what's good for you. . ." she began, but there was no reason to continue as Jake handed it back to her. "Thank you."

"So is everything planned for next Saturday?" he asked her as he put his arm around her and looked on to her PDA.

"Of course," she smiled as she pulled up a file. "Spud is going to straight trip when he sees the bash we've been planning for this his big one – eight."

"So has everyone on the list RSVPed?"

"Almost," she replied.

"And the center is booked, right?"

"Jake, will you stop buggin'. I've got my end covered," she reassured him. "So all you have to do is make sure the cake is there by seven."

Jake straightened up as the train was coming to a stop. "Wait, I'm on cake detail?"

"Well, yeah. That's what we agreed on." Trixie watched as Jake made a face. "Jake, please tell me you put in the order for the cake last week."

"Uh," Jake avoided eye contact as he scratched the back of his head. "Well. . ."

"Jake!" she cried with wide eyes.

"Don't worry, I got this." Jake then shot up from his seat. "We're just going to have to make a quick detour," he pronounced as he grabbed Trixie by the wrist and pulled her off the train.

OoOoO

"I should have known," Trixie said angrily as they stepped off the bus into a greenery scene. "You're late with everything else, why not this?"

"Come on, it's not that bad," Jake told her as he followed her along a dirt path up a steadily upward hill.

"Not that bad?" she turned around and spoke to him as she continued to walk backwards. "Jake, we have no cake. We can't have a party without a cake."

"No sweat, Trix," he said with a smile that only annoyed his friend more. "How hard can it be to whip up a cake?"

"Do you cook, Jake?" she asked.

"No," he answered.

"Do I cook?"

Jake looked at her oddly. "Is this a trick question?"

"Jake!"

"Alright, no." he replied.

Trixie took a deep breath as she said calmly, "Okay, then how do you suppose we're going to – whip up a cake!" she yelled the last part.

"I'm telling you. I got this. Come Saturday at seven, Spud will have his cake." Jake then once again smiled at her. "You sure are going through a lot of trouble for this party. Any reason in particular?" He cocked an eyebrow in her direction.

"Shut up, boy," she told him as she turned around so she could once again see where see was going, but that didn't help her much as her foot got caught on a root of a tree growing above the ground.

"Trixie," Jake worriedly called out as she was in danger of falling over the side of the hill. Jake's tail, without thinking, appeared and wrapped itself around Trixie's body before pulling her towards him. He took both of her arms securely in his hands before his tail dissolved. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"Are you crazy?" Trixie asked him, as she frantically looked around. "You could have been seen."

Jake released his hold on her. "You're welcome," he said quietly as he rolled his eyes.

"I'm not playing, Jake. You're too carefree with your abilities," she scowled him.

Jake groaned as he continued up the hill. "Dang, girl, you're starting to sound like my gramps. I could save the world ten times over and all he would say is how I neglected to clean the bathroom in the shop."

"Fine," she said as she caught up with him, walking beside him as she took his arm. "Oh, Jakey," she began with a Southern accent. "My hero, thank you. For I do declare, I would have fallen on my purdy little face if it haven't been for these gentlemanly arms of yours," she paused, rethinking her words. "Or should I say tail?" she asked as she slapped him on the butt. She then laughed as she asked in her normal voice, "Happy now?"

Jake chuckled and playfully looked at her as if she were crazy, but before he could say anything they heard a crowd of voices. They both looked up and saw people starting to make their way down the hill. Among them was their friend Spud holding what looked to be a first place trophy. "Hey, guys. Just get here?" He greeted them cheerfully as he made his way over to them, wondering why Jake's face looked so red as Trixie let go of him.

"It was Jake's fault," Trixie replied as soon as Spud was close enough as he let her see the trophy.

"Sorry, man. Trix and I had to make a detour at- ow!" Jake yelled out as Trixie had elbowed him the ribs.

"What was that?" Spud looked confused as it appeared Trixie and Jake were having a conversation only with their eyes.

"Nothing," he replied as Trixie let him see the trophy. Jake then looked to Spud curiously as they started their way down the hill. "Spud, I'm glad you won and all, but I've been curious. When did you get into archery?"

"Uh- it's always been a dream of mine to learn the ways of the bow and arrow," he began as he put his arm around Trixie. "If only to one day be your cupid and pierce your heart," he said dotingly in a way only he could pull off.

"Keep dreaming, cupid," Trixie said annoyed, as she took a step to the side, making Spud's arm slip off of her. Spud only shrugged as he dipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out his red and yellow yo-yo.

OoOoO

The sun was beginning to set as the three friends soon found themselves in Trixie's home, sitting in front of the television, playing video games. Jake and Trixie sat on the floor as they played a two player game. Spud sat up on the couch as he waited for one of them to lose so that he could take their place. As he waited, he fooled around with his yo-yo, watching it intensity as he threw it only to have it return to him.

Jake, being skillful in the game, was able to watch Spud from the corner of his eye. Something felt off about Spud, more than usual that is. Spud had always carried around that yo-yo and now that Jake was thinking about it, he couldn't remember a day when he had seen Spud without it, but nowadays a lot of his attention went towards it.

"Uh-oh, buddy-boy, I've got you on the run now," Jake heard Trixie say and so pulled his full attention back to the game.

They were racing cars and Jake had been in first place, until Trixie hit him from behind, sending his car veering off into the cement wall lining the track. "Aw, man," Jake groaned as he watched Trixie's car pass over the finish line.

"Next victim, please," she said in a sickly sweet voice as she turned around to look at Spud.

"Here, just take it," Jake sulked as he handed Spud the controller before sliding over to make room for him on the floor.

Spud placed his yo-yo on the coffee table in front of him. "Alright," he began excited as he picked his car from the select screen. "Let's put the paddle to the metal." He then looked to Trixie. "I'm sorry, my sweet, but this will be a battle you will not win."

"Oh, we'll see about that, because I got this race in the bag." Trixie then selected her next car and the two were off on the race track.

The two were three minutes into the race when something caught Jake's eye and pulled his interest away from the screen. There was something blinking on the table. It was Spud's toy. "Uh, Spud?"

"Yeah?" he responded as he moved his body in the direction he wanted his car to go.

"Yo man, is it supposed to be doing that?" Jake went to pick up the toy, but to his surprise Spud's hand beat him to it.

Spud then shot up from the floor before Jake had the chance to blink. He then said the first thing that came to his head, "I have to go to the bathroom." It was followed by him jumping over the couch and ending up in the closet.

Jake and Trixie got up and looked a bit bewildered, though they honestly didn't now why, as they looked at the closet door. Trixie then shook her head from side to side. "You think we would be used to that by now," she stated as she slide back to the floor and picked up a controller. "He'll figure it out," she said as Jake continued to look at the door. "He always does." She sighed as she held the second player controller in the air. Jake soon took it and picked up where Spud had left off.

After several minutes, Jake thought he heard what sounded like a conversation happening from behind him. He paused the game as he looked to Trixie. "Is it me, or has Spud been acting kind of weird lately?" he asked her.

"Where have you been? That boy has been weird since way back in the day," she responded.

"Yeah, but what I mean is, weird even for him."

"You're tripping, Jakey," she told him as she reached over and tired to unpaused the game, but was unsuccessful.

"I'm for real," he protested.

Trixie then looked to him seriously. "So am I, because the day my boy, Spud starts acting 'normal' is the day I know something isn't right with the world. Now are we going to play or what?" With her question, Jake realized she was right, because any kind of strange behavior from Spud could only add up to one thing. . ._ just an average day_.

To Be Continued. . .

* * *

**A/N:** Don't get too fond of the name Ezekiel, I plan on changing it as soon as we find out what his name is on the show. 

**A/N: June 3, 2006**: Well, I went ahead and changed his name, since they finally revealed it.

**A/N: June 16, 2006**: Also chapters that are different in the other version :V2: have been marked.


	2. Countdown

**A/N**: Yeah, I know I said I was going to put this on Hiatus until a finished another story, but you know how it is when you just have to write. Merry Christmas, folks, don't say I never got you anything!

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Posted: December 25, 2005

**Chapter Two**: Countdown

Jake Long groaned as the blaring alarm that sat on his night stand stole him from his rare, peaceful dreams. With his head still under his pillow his hand with out blindly searching for the object making the offensive sound. When he found it he turned it off and rolled over in his bed. He stretched his body as he sat up, but recoiled suddenly as a shot of pain struck his body.

He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood up before walking over to turn on the light. He then made his way to his vanity dresser. He frowned as his reflection came into view and placed a hand over a part of his bare chest. "Damn, Trix," he spoke to himself as he examined his forming bruise were Trixie had elbowed him. "Baby girl doesn't know her own strength." He smiled, but noticed for some reason that it didn't reach his eyes. He shrugged it off before preparing for the day.

Downstairs, Jake made his way to the kitchen where he saw his sister, Haley, quietly reading a book as she ate her breakfast. He leaned over her chair and read over her shoulder knowing it was one of her pet peeves. "Whacha doing?" he asked in a sing-song voice.

"Something you wouldn't know anything about," she began, not skipping a beat as she turned the page. "Studying."

"I study," he defended himself. "Just because I'm not always on the honor roll, like some people I know, doesn't mean I don't put in the work. Besides-"

"If you tell me your responsibilities as the American Dragon hinders your performance in school, I don't want to hear about it," Haley laid down her book and looked up at her brother. "Because if it were me, I wouldn't have a problem setting aside time to do both," she explained.

Jake's brow furrowed at her comment. "Well, not everyone can be as perfect as Haley Long. Besides, my duties aren't something I can keep a date book for," he tried to explain. "When I'm called for help, I go. Anyplace at anytime and whatever I had planned for the day goes on the back burner. You can't see it now, but if for some reason, something should happen to me and you have to take my place, you'll understand that." He reached for her book and flipped through the pages. "There are some things far more important than what you can do in a classroom."

"Don't ever talk like that," Haley suddenly told him.

Jake looked at her curiously as he lowered the book from his face. "Don't talk like what?" he asked.

"About you dying," she said softly as she averted her eyes.

Jake sighed as he finally took a sit next to his sister. He then began slowly, "It's been over a year, Haley. You have to learn to forgive yourself."

Haley quickly lifted her head towards him and looked him dead in the eye. "Have you forgiven me?"

Jake blinked rapidly, he wasn't expecting that. "That's not the point," he responded.

"Yes, it is," she turned her head away as she spoke. "If only I had been stronger." Her eyes became distant as her mind traveled a million miles away.

"No, you are strong, Haley," he tired to convince her. "It was me; I shouldn't have left you alone like that. I just thought-"

"That I could handle it?" she interrupted him. "That I could do it on my own? Well, I couldn't," she grabbed her book from Jake and stood up. "And mom died because of it." She then grabbed her book bag off the back of the chair. "I'm not as perfect as everyone likes to believe. . . but only you and I know it." Haley then walked out of the kitchen and out the front door.

Jake dropped his head as he sighed, for his sister's pain was also his own. He knew as her big brother that he had to help her, but he didn't know how, and he felt he was failing her somehow. Especially when he couldn't honestly say that he had forgiven her, but how could he when he knew it wasn't her fault? Because their mother's death rested only on one set of hands. . . his own.

But he didn't have time to think about that, he convinced himself, knowing very well, it was a subject he didn't want to think about all together. So he grabbed his things along with an apple out the fridge and headed out the door to meet his friends before school.

OoOoO

"Honestly," Trixie cried as she stepped out of her front door and saw Spud sitting at the bottom of her stoop. "Just once, I would like to come out of my house in the morning, to not find you sitting there," she told him as he stood up, ready to walk her to school.

Spud only smiled at her. "Don't front, you know you would miss my face," he told her as he took the two books she held out of her hands. "Who else, but Jake, would be able to put up with your demanding demeanor?"

"True," she said, proud of the fact, as they began their walk down the Brooklyn streets towards their high school, New Utrecht.

As they continued to walk Trixie noticed how quiet it seemed. She then realized why as she looked to Spud. He was usually very cheery in the morning, going on about something she wasn't trying to listen to. "Spud?" she called.

"Yeah?" he looked to her with a light in his eyes and a smile on his lips.

"Is something wrong?" she asked worriedly.

His smiled immediately fell. "No, nothing," he quickly told her as he shook his head. He then shifted the books in his arms so that he could look at his watch. "We better hurry up or we're going to be late," he told her hoping she wouldn't ask him anymore questions. He couldn't stand lying to her.

They walked for another block before Spud spoke again. "Trixie?" he began. "I'm sure you already know this, but my birthday is this week. Saturday."

"Is it?" Trixie asked, trying to hold in her smile. "Eighteen, right?"

"Yeah, eighteen," he answered softly with a hint of sadness. "And I was hoping I could ask something of you," he shrugged. "You know, something like a birthday gift."

Trixie cocked an eyebrow in his direction. "Depends. What do you want?"

His eyes filled with fear as he answered her. "You," he whispered. Trixie froze for a moment thinking she had misheard him. "I just want to spend the day with you," he continued. "Just you."

"Spud. . ." she shook her head. There was no way she could do it. . . even if she wanted to. She had too many things to prepare for the day of his surprise party. She and Jake and already agreed that it would be he that entertained Spud throughout the day until it was time for it, otherwise, knowing Jake, nothing would get done.

"Please, don't say no," he asked of her, already sensing her answer. "All I'm asking is for one lousy day," if Trixie didn't know any better, she would have thought he sounded desperate and that wasn't like him.

So she looked at him strangely before putting her hand on his forehead to feel his temperature. "You know, since Jake mentioned it, you have been acting kind of strange lately," she concluded.

"Woman!" he called loudly, roughly smacking down her hand. "There's nothing wrong with me!" he said, suddenly angry.

"Ow!" she yelled out, causing a few of the people around them to look at the pair for a moment. "Boy, now I know you're trippin'!" she yelled back as she pushed him.

"That's not what I meant to do," panic lined his words as he spoke quickly, reaching out to take her hand, but she pulled away before he could. "It's just-" he cut himself off as he saw her take a step back. "Trixie," he began again, but softly. "I've never hid what I feel for you," he told her honestly, his voice getting quieter by the word. "So just give me one day. . . to help me through the rest."

"The rest of what, Spud?" Trixie said curiously.

Spud didn't answer her as he looked at his watch. "We should really get going if we're going to meet up with Jake before classes," was all he said as he continued towards the school, leaving Trixie behind for a moment before she picked up her step.

Ten minutes later the two found themselves in front of the school as Jake approached them. Suddenly Spud spoke before Jake came close. "I got to run. I'll see you guys at lunch, okay?" he didn't wait for a response from Trixie as he handed her back her books before running into the school.

"Hi," Jake spoke with a fake cheerfulness. "Where's he off too?" he asked Trixie as he had just witnessed Spud's mad dash.

"Don't know," she said heading into the school. "And at the moment, don't care."

Jake looked at her curiously before smiling foolishly. "Aw, did the lovebirds have a fight?" he asked playfully.

"Not in the mood for it, Jake," she told him as she arrived at her locker and began at the combination.

Jake only shrugged as he went to work on his own lock which was located a few down from hers. He was still organizing his books for the day when he heard her locker door close and though his door blocked her from his view, he knew she was leaning on the locker next to his. "Remember when you were saying that Spud had been kind of off lately?" she asked him.

"Well, yeah. It was only yesterday," he laughed lightly, finally closing his locker before swinging his book bag back onto his shoulder. "Why?"

"I think you were right," she told him as Jake noticed the way she was rubbing her wrist. "I'm worried about him," she confessed.

Jake then joined her as he leaned on a locker. "What made you change your mind?"

Trixie shrugged. "Just something he did," she explained and noticing the way Jake was glancing down at her hands she pulled them apart. "Something I know he would never do, if he were in his right mind," she paused as she looked suspiciously around hall, before leaning closely into Jake. "I want you to keep an eye on him," she whispered. "If you know what I mean?"

Jake frowned. "You want me to spy on him?" he whispered back and she nodded. "Weren't you the one telling me that I had to be more careful with my powers? And now you want me to do something as low as spy on one of my best friends. Nah-uh, the Jake man don't play like that," he said shaking his head.

"Jakey," she reached out and took a hold of his sleeve.

"No," he told her again. "Because what if the roles were reverse and it was him asking me to spy on you. How would you feel?"

Trixie looked away. "Betrayed, I guess," she answered after a moment.

"Exactly."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," she agreed, letting go of his sleeve, her wrist once again taking comfort in her hand. "Anyway, he said he would meet us at lunch," she informed him as she pushed herself off the locker and started towards class just as the warning bell was ringing.

"Cool," Jake replied as he too made his way down the hall.

OoOoO

The cafeteria was located on the fifth floor of the school as Trixie and Jake finished climbing the stairs and entered one of the lines. Each grabbed a tray and collected their meal before finding an empty table closes to the entrance. "I'll be glad when they let us leave the school for lunch," Jake complained as he stabbed what looked like meatloaf with his fork.

"Please, boy, don't delude yourself," Trixie told him, pulling out her PDA to change some things around. "Jake, can I count on you for something?" she asked not looking up from her task.

"Ugh," Jake groaned as he found a piece of hair in his food. "Trix, look." He shoved it into her face.

"That's your hair you dimwit," she told him, pushing his hand away.

"How do you know?"

"You're kidding, right? I'd know those awful highlights anyway."

"Well, I'm still not eating it," he told her, pushing his tray away.

"Fine, whatever," she said annoyed as her attention went back to her PDA. "Now are you going to do this for me or what?"

"Do what? You haven't told me anything yet."

"Saturday. . . I need us to switch roles."

"Say what?" Jake dropped his head. "You know me and planning parties don't mix, Trixie."

"I know. Believe me, if it wasn't for something I thought was important I wouldn't ask."

Jake then smiled at her. "Something important, huh?" he asked as he threw one of his legs over the bench like seat, putting his elbow on the table before tilting his head into his hand. "So are you telling me, you're finally giving it up to my boy on his birthday?"

Trixie looked at him with deadpan eyes. "I'm going to pretend you didn't say that," she told him. "Honestly, is that all you think about?"

"Let's see," he pretended to think it over. "I'm seventeen, male, and as horny as hell, right now. What do you think?"

Trixie lowered her head before shaking it from side to side. "Jake, you're my boy and all," she patted his leg, "but that's too much information."

"So the dirty thoughts I'm having with your hand on my leg, I should keep those to myself, huh?" Jake laughed as Trixie made a face and removed her hand.

"Pervert," she called him, but couldn't stop the giggle that escaped her lips.

"You're one to talk," he replied as he moved in a little closer. "Listen, I need you to call-"

"Sorry, I'm late," Jake was interrupted as Spud made his way to the table and sat down across them.

"Hey, man," Jake turned himself to face him. "Was starting to think you weren't going to show up."

"Yeah, I uh had a thing I had to do," Spud explained before turning to look at his other friend. "Trixie, I just realized that I never really apologized for this morning," Jake looked at him curiously with the statement, but said nothing. Spud then held out his hands, his palms facing her as he flip them to show they were empty. He then ran them passed each other and when they parted a red, thornless rose appeared in his right hand. His skills as a magician had grown greatly since he won the talent show back in middle school. "I'm truly sorry," he whispered gently as he held out the flower for her to take. "To harm you, in any way, is never my purpose."

Trixie smiled sweetly as she reached out for her present as she thanked him. "Spud, about Saturday," she began a moment later. "Okay."

Spud froze in his movement, his food slowly slipping off his fork until it landed with a small splash. "Okay?" he asked looking a bit dumbfounded.

"Yes," she confirmed.

Spud looked at her seriously. "You know what this means, right?" he asked her.

Trixie's face went pale as she looked around the cafeteria. "Don't you dare," she threatened. "No!" she said in loud whisper.

"Oh, yes." The smile on the other's face grew from ear to ear.

"No." She shook her head from side to side.

"Sorry, but I got to do it." He rose from his seat. "It's in my blood-"

"Jake, help me," she turned to Jake and pleaded.

Jake rose his arms up in a defeat like gesture. "You're on your own, Sistah."

"-I got to sing!" Spud finished his statement as he stood up on the lunch bench and cleared his throat.

Trixie groaned as she lowered her head and waited for Spud to humiliate her in public. . . _again_. But instead of the lyrics of a song, she heard someone call out, "Security! It's the Spudinski boy, again." It came from one of the lunch ladies.

Two large men came over. One picked Spud up as if he was nothing more than a toothpick and escorted him out the cafeteria door. "But my song!" he complained as the doors closed behind him.

"Oh, thank Merlin," Trixie cried softly, collapsing on the table in relief.

Jake cocked an eyebrow in her direction. "You've been reading Harry Potter fan fictions again, having you?" he asked her.

"What? They're good," she defended. "There's this one I'm reading now-"

"I don't care," Jake interrupted her. "I just don't understand spending all that time on a story you can't make money off of."

Trixie sighed. "Some people just don't get it."

Jake shook his head and was about to speak when something caught his eye. "Is that Spud's yo-yo?"

"Where?" she asked. "You know what happened last time he lost that crazy thing."

He shuddered. "I certainly don't want to relive that." He rose from the table, taking his tray with him and dumping it off before going to pick up his friend's toy. Trixie was close behind him as he held it in his hands. "You know, I don't think I've held this thing before," Jake commented.

"Neither have I," Trixie said as she reached out for it, but her hand snapped back as the yo-yo did something strange and opened up as if were a compact mirror. "What the hell?" She looked to Jake curiously, but his eyes were still on the toy.

There were strange letters inside, but it had an hour and minute hand like a clock, so Jake figured they were numbers in another language. And if that wasn't strange enough they were going counter clockwise. Jake finally looked back at Trixie as he realized what it was. . . _a countdown_.

To Be Continued. . .


	3. Left in the Dark

Posted: February 8, 2006

**Chapter Three**: Left in the Dark

"Yo, Jake!" Jake heard his name being called as students piled out of the school at the end of the day. Jake turned around to see one of his classmates, Alex. "Wait up."

Jake waited for Alex to catch up with him. "Wassup, man?" They greeted each other.

"Spud's party still on Saturday?" Alex asked.

"For sure. Try to be there by six-thirty," Jake confirmed.

"No problem. Look, I wanted to let you know that since the Jenkin brothers transferred that there's an opening on the team." Jake started shaking his head before Alex could even finish.

"I told you before, Alex, I don't have time to give for the basketball team," Jake tried to explain.

"Why not? You know you got mad skills when it comes to the court," Alex told him.

Jake gave him a cocky smile. "I know my skills are like legendary status, but the thing is, I work after school at my grandpa's shop and-" Jake stopped when he realized Alex was no longer listening to him. He wasn't even looking at him. So he turned his head to see what the other was looking at and blinked when he saw Trixie approaching them.

"So when you going to give me the hook-up, man?" Alex asked with a smile.

Jake cocked an eyebrow with the question as he looked back at his classmate. "Hook-up with what?"

"With Trixie, of course," he answered, his eyes not leaving her since she came into his view.

"Oh, I don't see why-" he was interrupted.

"Girl know she be looking good too," Alex continued. "You know what I'm saying? Wearing those tight-ass jeans." He slapped Jake's arm playfully. "I mean, I know you've checked out the booty on that little number. . . I've seen you. And those lips," he shivered as he moaned, "they just made me want to-"

"She's taken," Jake told him seriously, becoming protective as he heard the other's words.

Alex finally looked back at Jake, curious at his change of tone. "By who?" he asked innocently.

Jake didn't answer him at first, he just merely stared him down as if sizing him up. "Hey, baby," Trixie greeted Jake with a term of endearment as she did from time to time as she stood beside him. She was then taken a little by surprise as Jake put his arm around her shoulder. It wasn't a foreign gesture, she just couldn't remember him ever doing so at school before. Something about always having to look available to any possible females whose eye he may have caught. She rolled her eyes at the thought.

"Question answered?" Jake asked Alex.

"Yeah." Alex nodded, looking a little embarrassed with the discovery. "Meant no disrespect," he told him as he held out his hand. "We cool?"

Jake looked down at his hand for a moment before removing his arm from around Trixie and smiling at Alex as he took his hand and pulled him into a half hug. "Like the other side of the pillow, man," he told him. "No harm done."

"Great," he said as they pulled away from each other. Alex then started walking backwards. "I got to get to practice, but I'll catch you later." He then looked to Trixie and winked before turning around and disappearing among the other students.

"Asshole," Jake whispered to himself.

Trixie shook her head disapprovingly. "What was that about?" she asked.

"What was what about?"

"Uh-uh, don't play stupid with me, boy. I know you don't like that Alex dude. So why do you even pretend with him?" she wanted to know.

"I have no clue," Jake told her truthfully. He then reached into his pocket and dug out Spud's yo-yo. "Where is that boy?" he wondered out loud, opening up the device again as he tried to figure out what it was counting down to.

"It doesn't look like anything made by a human, does it?" Trixie told him. "Maybe- maybe we should have your gramps look at it," she suggested.

Jake's attention went from the yo-yo to her. "What? No," he shook his head. "It's not our business about what it is. We're going to return it to Spud and we're going to forget about it."

"Yeah, alright, but what if it's something dangerous? What if Spud doesn't know it's dangerous? You know him," she tried to convince Jake. "You think it's a countdown, right?" Jake nodded. "Well, what happens when it reaches zero or whatever it's suppose to reach? We don't know what it will do." She grabbed it from Jake and inspected it herself. "Aren't you just a little bit curious or even worried?" she pleadingly looked at him.

"Well," he tilted his head to one side, "maybe just a little. I mean, sure we've always seen him with this thing, but whose to say it wasn't switched out by someone who is out to get him?"

"Or you?" Trixie suggested and immediately regretted it when she saw the look on Jake's face.

Jake then took the yo-yo back. It was the second time that day he had been reminded of his mother. He swallowed hard as he stared down at the toy in his hand. "Understand this," he began softly. "No one else I love will be hurt on my account." He looked into Trixie's eyes. "No one." He then stuffed the yo-yo back into his pocket and lowered his eyes again.

They were both quiet for a moment, neither knowing what to say next as the area around them cleared. Finally Trixie reached out for him, taking his shoulder. "Jakey," she whispered slowly.

Jake pulled away from her, placing a huge smile on his face. "I'm good, Trix," he told her, pulling up his baggy jeans. "Let's head on over to my gramps'." He then turned around and started heading towards his grandfather's store.

Trixie sighed as she followed him. He got like that every now and then. Trixie used to try to get him to talk to her, about his mother and about what had happened the night she was taken as bait. She didn't know much, except that maybe it had something to do with the Huntsclan and that Jake had taken Haley along with him to go get their mother. Both Jake and Haley refused to talk about that night and Trixie was starting to believe that whatever happened, they would take with them to the grave and so Trixie learned to stop asking.

OoOoO

"I'm sorry, Jake," began Lao Shi, Jake's grandfather. "But there is nothing in any of my books that contain this type of writing." Lao Shi flipped through his last reference book. "But if you just allow me to take it to someone-"

"No," Jake argued. "I want to keep this matter in-house."

"So we're back at square one then?" Trixie asked as she slumped in stool. They had been researching the strange language for a couple of hours, but found nothing that could help them.

"Yeah, it seems so," he replied, before looking at his watch. He then picked up the yo-yo from the counter. "We're going to have to return it for now."

"You're right," Trixie said jumping off her stool. "It's only a matter a time before he realizes that thing is gone and we have a repeat of last year." She grabbed her things before the two headed towards the front of the store. "Where's that creepy dog of yours?" she asked, only now realizing how quiet the place had been without him.

"He's off, gathering some stuff for gramps. He won't be back for a while. Week or so," Jake explained as they reached the door only to find that while they had been there that it had lightly started raining.

Trixie waited by the door while Jake went to go find a couple of umbrellas, but was only able to find one. They huddled closed together as they walked to the nearby bus stop. "You know, we wouldn't have to ride the bus all the time, if you just got your license so we could ride in that car your dad got you," Jake announced as they reached the covering of the bus stop.

"Don't start on that again. That test was hard, I don't care what you say," she told him as she held the umbrella and shook off the excess water in Jake's direction.

"Hey!" Jake protested with a smile. He then said, "Yeah, I'm sure it was hard. . . all four times you took it."

Trixie glared at him. "You're just pining for an ass whuppin', aren't you?" she asked as the bus pulled up and they pulled out their metro cards.

Before long they were on Spud's block. It was still raining out so they once again shared the umbrella. "What?" Trixie asked after a few minutes, when it appeared that Jake had been staring at her.

"What? What?" Jake blinked a few times, utterly confused as they had been traveling in silence.

Trixie laughed softly. "You kind of look like Spud when you do that," she commented.

Jake didn't know how to respond that, not really knowing if it was meant as a compliment or an insult, but he had no time to debate the matter as he heard someone screaming at the top of his lungs. "Where the hell is it?" It was Spud.

"Shit," Trixie whispered, taking Jake's hand before breaking out into a run. "Come on!" she yelled as Jake seemed to be dragging his feet.

"Arthur, calm down!" yelled his older sister, who was his guardian, as Jake and Trixie made it up the porch stairs.

"No, it has to be found!" Spud yelled back. "She'll be furious with me if I've lost it now!" The two on the porch then heard something crash in the bedroom upstairs where the voices were coming from.

"Spud!" Jake yelled to be heard as he pounded on the front door. Then suddenly all fell silent.

It was a minute or so before Spud's sister, Johanna, greeted them. "Hey, guys." There was a huge smile on her face. "Come on in." She ushered them in out the rain. "Art- Spud will be down in a minute."

Trixie and Jake waited in the living room as Johanna headed back upstairs as Spud was coming down. She stopped him as he did so. Jake stared at them as they whispered something among each other. Jake was conflicted and sighed heavily as he murmured, "Ear of the Dragon."

". . . need to know. They're my friends," Spud spoke.

"I don't care who they are," Johanna told Spud angrily. "Just get rid of them. We have a lot to prepare for and not a lot of time left. We can't afford anymore mistakes, Arthur." She then continued upstairs.

"What did you hear?" Trixie asked Jake, but he had no time to reply as his dragon ears disappeared and Spud entered the room.

"Uh- hey, guys." Spud looked anxious, nervous even, as he fidget with his fingers. "Did you want to hang out or something? I heard that pizza joint has opened up down on sixty-eighth," he told them.

"Yeah, we could do that," Jake replied as he stood up. "But we actually came to return something." He dug in his pocket. "You dropped this earlier when you were being dragged out of the cafeteria." Jake pulled out the yo-yo.

Spud's eyes grew three times their size at the sight of his toy. He started laughing as he literally jumped over the couch that separated him and Jake and knocked the boy back into the chair he was sitting in as he landed on top of him. "I love you so much!" he told his friend excitedly as he took Jake's face in his hands and kissed him on the lips. "I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you!" He took the boy in his arms and practically squeezed the life out of him.

Jake reached out for Trixie. "Help," he mouthed wordlessly.

"Uh-uh." She shook her head. "This is way too much fun to watch." She laughed at the sight before her.

Finally, Spud got up off of Jake. Jake took a big breath as he sat up properly in his chair. Spud straightened up and put his toy safely back into his pocket, patting it to make sure it was secure. Spud then placed a huge smile on his face, once again looking carefree. "So how about that pizza?" he asked as he clapped his hands and rubbed them together.

"What's with you?" Spud turned around as he heard his sister's voice, who was curious about his expression.

"Jake and Trixie found it," he explained as he pulled the yo-yo back out and tossed it to her. "It was at the school."

Johanna sighed in relief as she looked at it in her hands. She then looked back up. "Thank you, guys. Spud will see you tomorrow."

Spud frowned at her words. "But we were going to go get pizza. Come on, Jo, don't do this to me now," he begged her. "I have so little left, just let me spend it with them," he whispered for only her to hear.

Johanna only looked to Jake and Trixie and repeated her words. The two got up and Johanna walked them to the door. As she closed it, Spud stood a little ways behind her and waved his hand sadly.

"What is home girl trippin' over?" Trixie ask, glad it had stopped raining, but concerned about Johanna's behavior. She wasn't usually so rude to them.

"Beats me." Jake shrugged as they made their way back to the bus stop, remembering the part of the conversation he had heard between Spud and Johanna. "But whatever is going on, one thing is certain, she wants us. . . _left in the dark_."

To Be Continued. . .


	4. Gone ::V1::

Posted: May 7, 2006

**Chapter Four**: Gone

It was Friday evening, the day before Spud's birthday, as he and Jake sat down at the new pizza place across town. It was busy as excited voices could be heard all around them. Spud seemed not to notice as he slowly played with the spoon in his Root Beer float, twirling it around and around as he and Jake waited for their food. Spud had called the other up about an hour ago, telling him he needed to talk. Jake could hear the uneasiness in his voice and so readily agreed to meet with him. They had meet up outside the restaurant, but neither had spoken a word to each other as they walked inside, ordered their food, and took their drinks to a booth. "Jake?" Spud sighed as be began. "Can I ask you something?"

Jake looked up from his own drink, thankful that Spud had finally broken the uncomfortable silence that had grown between them. "Yeah," he responded.

"Me and you, we've been friends for a long time, right?" he asked, not looking up from the game he played with his spoon.

"The best, man," Jake assured him, eying the other with concern. Ever since that day his sister had told him he couldn't go out with him and Trixie his demeanor wasn't as cherry as it used to be. The light that used to dance in his eyes, no matter what the occasion, seemed to have grown dull and maybe even had died. He looked older than he was, tired, as if he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders – a look Jake knew all too well when his own responsibilities became too much. "Have you been okay, Spud?" he asked.

Spud shook his head as he closed his eyes. "No," he told him truthfully. "I've had a lot of my mind lately."

"Like what?"

"I'm not allowed to speak about it." He finally put down his spoon and looked up at Jake's confused expression. "What I called you here for is-" he hesitated. "You've been a good friend to me," his face softened for a moment and Jake saw a hint of a smile on him for the first time in days. "And I want to thank you." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. "Here this is for you." He held out the gift for Jake.

Jake took it from Spud as he encouraged him to up it. Jake pulled out a necklace. The pendulum rest on a simple silver chain, but it was the pendulum itself that pulled Jake's attention. It was slightly cubed shaped and one inch by one inch. It was sleek black and jewel like with a strange writing in red that Jake recognized as the same kind from Spud's yo-yo. "Thanks. It's nice," he told. He then asked, "What does this writing mean?"

"It means nothing," Spud dismissed the question quickly, straightening up as their food arrived. "You should put it on," he told him, moving their drinks out the way as their waiter placed the pizza on the table. When the waiter left each placed a slice of pizza on the plate. Spud picked at his pepperoni nervously as Jake dug in. "I also have a favor to ask," he said a moment later. Jake looked over at him, as he had his head tilted back and his slice of pizza over his mouth. Jake chewed slowly and allowed Spud to continue. "I know this is going to sound weird, but I need to know if you'll watch over Trixie for me."

"What do you mean?" Jake asked, now not sure exactly where this conversation was heading – assuming he knew in the first place. "You sound as if you're dying or something."

Spud only looked away at first. "No, nothing that grave," he replied.

"Then what's wrong, Spud?" Jake asked worriedly, the pit of his stomach tightening on him. "You know if I can help, I will. Hands down and without a doubt. So just tell me what you need me to do."

Spud looked to him angrily. "I already have!" he told him loudly before calming himself. "Look, I've already broken a promise to my sister, and said more than I should have. So please," he begged, "don't ask me questions that I can't even begin to answer. In time, I'll be able to tell you everything, but right now it's impossible for me without jeopardizing-" he stopped, his hand balling into a fist in frustration. Jake wasn't understanding, but how could he, when Spud knew he wasn't making any sense?

Jake just stared at his best friend. Spud was only dead serious when it came to several things, Trixie being on the top of his list. He had never really said it out right, but Jake knew he loved her, and at this moment, Jake would do anything to ease his worries, even if he didn't know what they were. "Alright," Jake finally spoke softly. He then rested his elbow on the table as he pointed at Spud. "But whenever you need me-"

"I know who to call," Spud ensured him. A smiled came to his face as he held his fist out. "Friends for life – friends for real?"

Jake took his own fist and tapped it against Spud's. "For sure."

OoOoO

It was a little before three in the afternoon on Saturday as Trixie sat in her home while on the phone with Jake. "Alright, alright, alright! Stop nagging me, Trix," he told her as she was calling him for the umpteenth time that day. "If you were going to call me every five minutes, you could have done this yourself," he complained.

"I practically did do this all myself, Jake," she corrected him.

"Uh-huh, whatever." He rolled his eyes, not knowing why since she couldn't see him. "All I know is that my birthday party better be just as bumpin'. . . You are planning me a party, right?" he asked as an afterthought.

"Maybe," she drawled out, teasing him playfully. "It depends. Have you been a good little dragon lately?" Jake recognized the beginnings of the game. It was an innocent little role playing game they did from time to time when they were on the phone together. It had started off as a joke at first, with Jake making a _suggestive_ type comment. He had expected Trixie to throw out some kind of insult for his increasingly dirty mind, but instead, to Jake's wonderment, she had made a suggestion of her own and so they played on.

The next day had been a bit awkward though. Jake had found himself not able to look onto his friend's face as he had dreamt about her the night before and what they had spoken about over the phone. But soon that feeling had passed and so they each had dipped back into a world of fantasy. And so Jake slightly chuckled before he deepened his voice, just the way she liked it, and said, "Actually, I've been quite mischievous, but we don't have time for this today. Besides, I'm not exactly alone right now," he explained. "But if I were," he began slowly. "What did you plan on doing about it?"

"Hmm, I think a punishment may be in order," her voice becoming sultry as she spoke.

"Oh?" Trixie could almost see the smile she knew was on Jake's face. "And what would you do to me?" he asked. "And don't leave out any details."

"I don't plan on to, because first I would take a-"

"No, no, no," Jake interrupted her. "Give me the Southern Belle," he asked of her, but she gave him no response. "Trixie?" he called after a beat. "Trix?"

"I'm sorry, I just heard the doorbell. It's Spud. He's early," she informed Jake seriously. "I gotta go. Now don't forget, we'll be at the center-"

"At seven," Jake finished her sentence. "I know," he said almost bitterly.

"Good," she said, finally getting up from the couch and grabbing her credit card and a photo ID, putting them in her back pocket. "We'll see you in a few hours, okay?"

"Yeah," he replied and then hung up without another word.

Trixie than hung up her own phone and greeted Spud at her front door. "So, care for a picnic?" he asked with a smile that she couldn't help but returned as he showed her the basket he had packed for the two of them.

It was bright and sunny spring afternoon as the two settled in the park under the shade of a tree. Just off to the side there was a tournament for some little league baseball game starting up and so as the two ate, they watched the game and spoke to each other. Trixie threw back her head and laughed at Spud after she roughly patted him on the back. He had tried tossing up a grape and catching it in mouth, only to slightly choke on it. Afterwards, he laughed along with her, happier than he had seemed in days. It gave Trixie a warm feeling as she realized he was happy because of her. And so an idea popped into her head, she tried to dismiss it, but found that she couldn't.

The game was at the top of the third inning when, without warning, Trixie leaned over, ever so slightly, and gave Spud a gentle kiss on the cheek. Spud quickly turned to her, blinking rapidly at the affection she had shown him. Signs that she liked him were just a little too far and in between for Spud's taste, but it had always been enough to get him to the next time.

Trixie's face became blank as she watched Spud lower his head and take a deep breath. "Spud?" she said gently, resting her hand of top of his. Instead of answering her, Spud rose his head back up and looked at her in a way she had never seen him do before. He then closed the space between them and took her lips with his own. Trixie was surprised by his boldness, but did nothing more than close her eyes as she savored the first real kiss they had ever shared. Trixie spent the rest of the afternoon being held by Spud as he leaned against the tree they were under as they watched the rest of the baseball game.

As the sun was starting to set, Trixie looked down at her watch and realized she had a little less than an hour to get Spud to his party. She tried getting up, only to be held tighter against Spud's chest. "Where do think you're going?" he asked as she turned her head to look at him.

"It's getting dark," she told him. "And I want to take you somewhere."

"Oh," he replied, finally letting her go. "You talking about my 'surprise' party at the center?" A goofy smile ran across his lips.

Trixie's mouth fell opened. "How do you know?"

Spud shrugged. "Me and Jake hung out yesterday. He let it slip," he told her.

She growled angrily, "I'll kill him." She had been looking forward to seeing the look on his face.

"I told him to call everyone who RSVPed and tell them the party was canceled," he informed her.

Trixie looked at him in disbelief. "You-" she could barely get out the words. "What?" She pushed herself away from him. "Why did you tell him to do that?"

"I told you already," he said straightening up from the tree. "I wanted to spend my birthday with you. . . just you," he explained.

Trixie placed her hand on her chest. "I put a lot of effort and time into planning that party, Spud. Plus, I was doing it with Jake, so you know it wasn't an easy task," she pointed out.

"I never indicated to you that I wanted a party. Why? Because I didn't want one. So just get over it!" he told her.

Trixie's head snapped back slightly as she heard his tone. "Fine," she replied. "Enjoy the rest of your birthday." She then stood up and started walking away.

"Trixie," Spud called as he stood up and went after her. "Trixie, where are you going?" he asked as he caught up with her.

"Home," she replied, keeping her eyes straight ahead.

Spud took her hand. "No. Stop, please," he begged of her. They then came to a stop. Trixie snatched her hand away from his before she crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm sorry, okay?" he began. "I had no right to do that. Jake even tried to talk me out of it, but I didn't listen." Spud stepped closer and held her upper arms. "I didn't know it was going to upset you like this. It's just. . . Just don't be mad at me, not today. . . okay?" Trixie's eyes weren't on him, but on the ground. Spud then lifted her chin. "I need you to forgive me," he asked of her.

Trixie looked up at him, seeing the sincerity in his eyes. "Of course," she breathed. "Don't I forgive all the silly things you do?"

Spud smiled sadly. "I hope that never changes," he told her, before cupping her face in his hand and once again claiming her lips. The kiss began to grow deeper as Spud removed his hand from her face so that he could wrap his arms around her waist. When the kiss was broken, with both breathing just a little heavier than before, Spud spoke, "Why don't we go somewhere a little less out in the open?" Trixie nodded before he retook her hand and they walked back over to the area where they had had their picnic.

OoOoO

"I don't know about this," Trixie voiced her concerns, holding herself, as she walked into a suite of a hotel. She eyed the place warily. "I think I've changed my mind," she said as she turned and saw Spud close the door behind them. Then, as she watched him lock it, she felt a strange feeling in her chest. "Yeah, I don't want to be here," she concluded as she walked back over to the door ready to unlock it and leave, but Spud caught her before she could.

"Whoa! Relax, Trixie," he told her softly as he felt her tremble in his hold. "I'm not expecting anything of you."

She looked up at him and made a face as she almost said in anger, "Bullshit. You brought me to a hotel, Spud. So don't you dare say you don't expect anything of me."

"Fine," he agreed. "But we don't have to leave just yet. I mean, the room is already paid for," he told her before stepping around her. "So let's watch a movie or something," he suggested.

Trixie studied him for a moment and then the room. They hadn't check in, but gone directly to the room. The room was clean, but Trixie could somehow tell there was something off about it. "Did you spend the night here last night, Spud?" she asked. Spud completely froze at the question as he was reaching out for the remote. "Have you not been going home?"

He looked to her. "Yes, I did and no I haven't," he answered her questions in order.

"Why?" she asked. "Your sister must be having a cow."

"She knows I'm here." He looked around. "She's paying for the room."

"I- I don't understand," she told him as Spud sat down on the bed. "Did you get kicked out? What the hell did you do?"

"I didn't do anything. She didn't kick me out," he told her as she sat down next to him.

"Then what's going on?" She wanted to know, but Spud only shook his head from side to side. "Spud?"

"Do you trust me?" he asked finally looking at her.

"You're one of my best friends, of course I do," she told him.

He seemed pleased with her answer before he stood up and walked over to the nightstand, next to the bed. He opened up the drawer and pulled out a small box. "Come here," he told her, and so Trixie shuffled across the bed on her knees to reach him. She looked asking of him as she saw the box. Spud opened it and pulled out a necklace that looked exactly like the one he had give to Jake the day before. "I want you to have this," he told her as he started to put it around her neck. "Don't ever take it off," he added.

"Spud," she picked up the pendulum around her neck and looked at it. "It's beautiful, but you shouldn't be giving me gifts. It's your birthday."

"I know, but I think you deserve it more now," he shrugged. "Since I ruined your gift to me."

Trixie nodded. "You're right," she responded, which made him laugh a little. She than rested her hand on his chest. "Thank you," she replied softly.

"You're welcome," he replied as she leaned up and kissed him. "I love you, Trixie," he told her for the first time. She looked kind of surprised by his words, but instead of waiting for her to reply, he continued, "And I pray you remember that." Trixie didn't know what to say to such a strange statement and so said nothing at all as she stared into his eyes and reached for the belt around his waist. "No, no," Spud protested, stopping her hands with his own. "I didn't tell you that to get you into bed. I said it because it's true."

"I know." She smiled at him sweetly as her hands with back to his belt. "I know."

"Please," he begged, trying to stop her again. "I can't have you regretting this." He looked almost in pain.

Catching the hint, Trixie immediately removed her hands. "Oh," was all she could say at first as she found she could no longer look at him. "You don't want me like that," she concluded.

"What?" Spud couldn't believe what he had just heard. "Have you gone mad, woman? Of course I do," he assured her. "It's just that I'm trying to be-"

"Be what?" She looked to him again.

"Nothing. I'm being stupid," he told her. He then reached out for her and she for him as he lowered her onto the bed, proving to her that his love was more than just pretty words.

The next morning, Trixie woke up with a big yawn. She opened her eyes and at first didn't recognize where she was, but soon the memories of the previous day rushed to her. She gasped loudly as she realized she had spent the whole night here. Her grandma was going to be furious. Trixie hoped that her grandma didn't notice she had been gone all night.

"Spud!" she called out, figuring he was in the bathroom as he wasn't in bed. "Spud, I need to get home," she told him as she wrapped a sheet around herself and walked over to the bathroom door. She knocked on it lightly, but heard nothing. "Spud?" She opened the door slowly and to her surprise the bathroom was empty. Trixie was confused as she walked back over to where the bed was. She turned around, making a full 360 as she realized she was alone and Spud, he was. . . _gone_.

To Be Continued. . .


	5. To Forget

Posted: June 4, 2006

**Chapter Five:** To Forget

It was a little after eleven on Sunday morning when Trixie walked through the front door of her home. She sighed as she dropped her house keys on the table next to the door and walked up the stairs to her room. As soon as she made it to her room she began stripping off her clothes and looking for something to wear for the day as she prepared to take a bath.

Once in her own bathroom, she ran herself a bubble bath. She was about to take off the necklace that Spud had given her before she remembered that he asked her to never take it off and so she left it on before she slowly eased herself into the hot water. It felt good and inviting against the now sore areas of her body and skin as she relaxed her head against the wall and closed her eyes.

Unbidden tears slipped down her cheeks as she thought about the night before. Trixie had always imagined that Spud would be her first. Though she didn't act like it a lot of the time, she did care for him, and she knew Spud knew that. But what she couldn't understand was why she had woken up alone and why there was no sign of Spud even being in the room? Why would he slip away in the middle of the night like that? As if she was just anyone and not the woman he had claimed to love?

Trixie held herself tightly as more tears fell from her eyes and into the water that surrounded her. She didn't want to feel this way, like Spud had lied to her. There was an explanation, she knew it. There just had to be. So with that in mind Trixie finished her bath and got dressed. She then grabbed the house phone. She paced as she speed dialed Spud's cell number only to discover it was disconnected, which wasn't a surprise as he often forgot to pay his bill, no matter how much he was reminded to pay it on time. She would have called his house, but most likely his sister, Johanna, would have picked up and Trixie didn't feel like dealing with her today. So Trixie jumped onto her unmade bed before rolling over onto her back and dialing up Jake.

Jake was out training with his grandfather and Fu Dog near the Giant Village. They were on a break and Jake found himself under the shade of a tree when his cell phone rung. "Hello?"

"Hey, Jake. It's me," she began. "What you up to?" she asked.

Jake looked to his watch. "You know me, I'm doing my Am-drag thing. My break is almost over, so did you need something?"

"I was just wondering if you've heard from Spud?" she asked casually.

"Why are you asking me?" he inquired, his tone now different. "Weren't you guys together all day yesterday. . . and all night too?" Trixie made a curious face as Jake's voice almost sounded as if he was accusing her of something. Jake realizing the same thing, cleared his throat and began again. "Look, what I meant was. . . shit," he whispered to himself. "That came out wrong," he told her. "But no, I haven't heard from Spud," he finally answered the question.

"Jake, break time is over!" Jake heard Lao Shi calling for him.

"I gotta go, Trixie. I'll see you tomorrow, alright?" Jake stood up and dusted his pants off with his free hand.

"Yeah, tomorrow," Trixie responded before hanging up the phone.

"Jake!" yelled Lao Shi.

"Yo chill, gramps. I'm coming," Jake told him as he ran over to him and Fu Dog, transforming into his dragon form as he did do. He had abandoned his 'Dragon up' battle-cry years ago.

"I will not 'chill'," Lao Shi began agitated before covering his hand over his mouth and coughing heavily. "You are still young and have much to learn."

Jake looked with concern felt eyes at his aging grandfather. "I know." Jake gave a small bow. "Please, I am ready to learn," he made clear.

"So Jake," yelled out Fu Dog, removing his shades as rested in a lawn chair, sipping on some fruity looking drink. "So who were you on the phone with, one of your many female admirers." Fu Dog waggled his eyebrow.

"Nope," Jake sighed as he got into the last fighting stance he was in before his break. "Just Trixie wondering if I've seen Spud."

"That Trixie, she's one hell of a girl, that one. A keeper in my book." Fu Dog replaced his shades. "But why is she looking for a potato?"

"Ha ha, very funny, Fu," Jake said sarcastically before beginning up his training with Lao Shi again.

OoOoO

It was Monday morning and Trixie was just finishing up an egg sandwich she had made herself as she grabbed her book bag and headed towards the front door to head to school. As she swung the door opened and looked outside she stopped in her tracks. Spud, who had always walked her to school, wasn't sitting on her porch waiting for her. Trixie checked the time, this was the normal time she usually came out.

She then locked the door behind before taking a few steps down and looking around to see if he was on his way. _Where is that boy?_ she thought before deciding to take a seat and wait for Spud to show up. Then as one minute turned into five and five into ten, Trixie slowly stood. Realizing he wasn't coming, she began walking to school by herself before she missed the bell for her first class.

Jake was already at school talking to people outside of the the entrance as he did every morning as he waited for Spud and Trixie. That particular morning, he rain into Alex, the guy with the _so not subtle_ crush on Trixie. "Hi, man," Jake began as Alex approached him. "I just want to apologize again for Friday and Spud's surprise birthday party being canceled so last minute." Alex looked at him curiously and was about to say something, but Jake began again. "But trust, I know my girl, Trix, is so going to hook me up when my birthday rolls around this summer. So considered yourself invited," he told him.

"Yeah man, that's great. I'll so be there," Alex told him as the first bell rung within the school's halls. "But I think you may got be mixed up with someone else," he started towards the school. "I don't know anyone named Spud," he informed Jake before disappearing with a crowd of students heading inside.

Jake was confused about Alex's comment and was about to go after him to ask him about it when he saw Trixie walking towards the school by herself. Jake raised an eyebrow, he couldn't clearly remember the last time that had happened or if it had ever happened at all. "Where's Spud?" he asked when she was within earshot.

Trixie merely shrugged her shoulders at the question. "Come on, we're already late," she stated flatly before she too headed inside.

The two friends, due to their schedules for the day didn't see each other again until lunch. "Jake!" Trixie rushed over to him, when she saw him sitting down at their normal table, looking as if he had been waiting for her. "There's something _really_ weird going," she told him as she sat across from him.

"You've notice it to, huh? Good, because I thought I was going crazy," he told her.

"No one seems to remember Spud," she said worriedly. "Every time I bring him up, people ask me who he is."

"I know," Jake shook his head. "The two classes we have together before lunch – neither teacher called his name. Like he was never enrolled in the first place."

"I don't like this, Jakey." She looked around suspiciously. "This isn't right. What do we do?"

Jake stood up. "To the roof," was all he said as he walked around the table and out to the staircase with Trixie right on his heels.

"What can we possibly do on the roof, Jake?" she asked as they opened the door and stepped outside. Trixie watched as Jake made his way over to the edge.

Jake looked down at the distance to the ground from where he stood. "Do you trust me?" he asked Trixie before turning to look at her.

Trixie looked at him for a moment. That was the second time in several days she had been asked that. "Of course," she said unsurely, not sure where he was going with such a question.

"Then close your eyes and don't open them until I say so." Trixie brow furrowed at the instruction, but she followed them anyway.

A moment later, Trixie felt Jake behind her before feeling his arms around her body. "Jake?"

"Just don't open your eyes. I know you don't do heights and I can't have you freakin' out on me." Trixie gave him a simple nod before she felt her feet leave the surface of the roof. She tensed up once she felt the rush of wind against her face. "Calm down. This is the quickest way to Spud's place and back before our next class," he explained as he made his way higher into the sky as to not be easily seen by those on the ground.

"If you drop me, Jake, I'll kick your ass from here to California. You hear me?" She threatened, but Jake didn't think much of it as he felt her hands tighten on his arms.

"Don't worry, Trixie. I'd never let you fall," he reassured her as Spud's house came into his view and he allowed his wing to glide them towards the ground. They landed in an alleyway before Jake transformed back into his human form. The two of them made there way across the street to Spud's home. They walked up the porch stairs and knocked on the door, but no one answered.

Trixie leaned over to look inside of the window. "Everything looks normal," she informed Jake. "Everything is where is was the last time we were here." She turned back to Jake. "Now what?" she asked.

Jake took a step back from the door before looking around to make sure no one was around. "We go inside," he suggested.

"Hell no," Trixie protested as Jake brought out his claws. "That's breaking and entering! As in jail time! And I don't know about you, but this face is too pretty to be locked up."

"Then what do you want us to then?" he asked angrily. "Just go on about our lives as if Spud never existed?"

"That's exactly what you should do." Trixie and Jake were startled by the voice behind them. They turned around to see Johanna behind them carrying a grocery bag. She walked up the stairs as she shook her head in a disappointed manner. "Damn my brother," she began. "I told him to leave you two out of it." She then grabbed onto the collar of Jake's shirt.

"Hey!" he yelled out as she yanked it down revealing the necklace around his neck.

"The Jewel of Eskaw," Johanna whispered. "I should have known he would protect you in this world and in ours."

"In your world?" Trixie spoke. "What does that mean?" she asked curiously.

Johanna then turned to Trixie. "I guess you have one too then." She went to look at the jewel around Trixie's neck, but as soon as their skin touched, Johanna pulled her hand away as if she had been burned.

"What?" Trixie asked as her own hand went to her neck.

Johanna only smiled at her as she shook her head. "Nothing." Johanna then pulled out her keys to unlock her door. "Now listen closely you two," she spoke with her back to them, "since my brother, Arthur, did not. Even with one as skilled in our art as he is, what he must do is dangerous-"

"Dangerous?" Jake interrupted. "What kind of danger? Where is Spud?" he demanded to know.

Johanna continued as if she hadn't been cut off. "-chances are. . . he isn't coming back," she lowered her head, her voice breaking. "He should have spared you of his memories. A luxury I wish I had." She then stepped into her home placing her bag on the floor. Her eyes glistened with unshared tears as she looked at the teenagers before her. "It would be best if you forgot him and seek us no more," with that said she closed the door on them.

Jake and Trixie looked at each other, wondering, after what they had just learned and having so many more questions to ask, how Johanna could possibly think, that when it came to Spud, they could do something as difficult as . . . _to forget_.

To Be Continued. . .


	6. Mine

Posted: July 1, 2006

**Chapter Six**: Mine

Jake refused to believe his ears as he sat on his knees in Trixie's parent's bedroom on the floor. Trixie sat in front of him with her back against the wall as she cried, her face in her hand. "No," Jake finally whispered to her, shaking his head.

Jake, finding he couldn't stand the sound of her crying, was about to stand up so that he could go and get some air, but as he rose Trixie reached for him, grabbing onto his shirt. "Jake, please," she begged, her cheeks wet from her tears. "Please. . . don't go."

Jake sighed as he realized he needed to be strong for her right now. He then pulled Trixie into his arms as she continued to cry. "It's going to be alright," he reassured her as he pulled her tighter against him. Jake then began to think back to how they came to be in this situation.

It had started over a month and a half ago, two weeks after Johanna had told them to forget about Spud. It had been hard, trying to adjust, knowing they couldn't do anything to find Spud. The only real link they had to him were the necklaces they were given and no book they researched through could tell them what the writing on them meant. The only person who probably did know was Johanna and she wasn't talking.

Trixie and Jake had one class together, which was geography and were given an assignment to work on together, which wouldn't have been too bad, if the class hadn't been split up into teams of three. Unfortunately, for Jake the third member of their team was none other than Alex Brown, who was shamelessly flirting with Trixie when he thought Jake wasn't paying attention.

It was Saturday night as the three of them had set up to work on their project at Trixie's place within the den. They had sat up a few snacks and the tv was on, but wasn't really paid attention to as they worked. Jake sat on the floor leaning against one of the chairs as his laptop sat on the coffee table in front of him. Their notes sat on his lap as looked down at them as he typed up their research paper to turn in. Taking up the rest of the space on the table was Trixie and Alex as they prepared their three sided poster board. "Oops," Jake heard Alex says.

His voice was then followed by Trixie's. "Boy, if you try that one more time, you're going to be pulling back a nub, you heard?"

Jake smiled at her threat as he continued with the paper. Their oral presentation wasn't until Thursday, but Jake didn't have time to leave this until the last minute as he never knew what was coming up and he wanted to do his fair share. It had been a slow week and so he decided to get a head start on the project. It was coming along better than expected. In fact, if there were no interruptions they could probably get it done tonight, but just as Jake was thinking that his cell phone rung. His shoulders dropped as he saw the caller I.D. "Yeah, gramps?" he greeted his Dragon Master as he rested the phone between his ear and shoulder before his fingers went back to the keypad.

"Jake, come home," he began. "We have dragon business to attend to tonight."

"Can't it wait?" Jake asked as he peered over his laptop to see Alex trying to scoot a little closer to Trixie, who only rolled her eyes, making some distance between them. Jake frowned, he _really_ disliked Alex.

"No, it can not. Now come home," Lao Shi insisted.

"Fine, fine. Give me ten minutes," he told the older man before hanging up. "Look guys," Jake began as he saved his material. "I'm sorry, but I think we're going to have to call it a night. Something came up at home." He looked to Trixie, who nodded her head, indicating that she understood. "We should be able to finish this tomorrow though."

Alex groaned, causing an instant frown on Jake's features. "I'm sorry, man, but I'm not trying to have this project take up my whole weekend. I have plans tomorrow. Besides we're almost done here. So go on home, I'm sure Trix and I can finish this up without you," he suggested with a smile. "If you leave your laptop I can even finish up the paper."

Jake shook his head. "No. If I leave, you leave," he laid down the law.

"Actually," Trixie spoke up. "Homeboy over here has a point. We're almost done and I really don't want to do anything but put this behind us."

"No," was Jake's answer.

Trixie raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me? I think you may have misunderstood me, because I don't think I was asking for your permission."

Jake then slowly stood up. "We need to talk," he told her.

She scoffed. "What do you think we're doing?"

"Alone," he said after looking at Alex for a moment. "Please," he added.

"Fine," she agreed as she stood, following Jake out the room and closing the door behind them as they stood in the hallway. "What's with all the drama, Jakey?" she asked crossing her arms as she leaned against the wall.

"I don't like him," Jake told her.

"I already know that," she informed him. "And if you keep this behavior up, he's going to know it too."

"Look," Jake sighed. "I just don't want you alone with him," he confessed.

"I'm not alone," she said. "My grandma is upstairs."

"Oh yeah, that gives me real comfort," he stated sarcastically.

"So what? Are you trying to tell me, you don't think I can take care of myself?" she asked.

"No," he said immediately. "That's not what I'm saying. I just don't like," he started counting on his fingers, "the way he looks at you, the way he talks to you, the way he tries to _touch_ you, Trix," Jake explained.

Trixie shook her head. "I don't understand you lately, Jake. I'm a big girl, I don't need you watching over me. I'm not a magical creature and you're not my protector, so you can stop the macho overprotective bullshit right now," she made clear.

Jake straightened up at her words, slightly hurt by them. "Well, excuse me for breathing," he began slowly. "I'm sorry, but I've already lost three people in my life and the only way I can think to deal with it is to make sure everyone else in my life that love is safe."

"I- I miss him too, Jake," Trixie admitted. "And I understand that you're not only grieving for Spud," she held herself tighter. "But I'm grieving too," she breathed. "And I deal with it differently than you. I just need a little time without you all up in my grill, alright?" Jake lowered his head, not sure how to response to that. "Let's call it a night, okay, Jake?" she whispered before opening the door back to the den.

"Trixie, wait," Jake called, grabbing her arm as he did so. She looked back to him, her expression unreadable. Jake opened his mouth to speak, but then saw the tall, light skinned African-American boy sitting in the den and closed it before saying, "I'll call you, okay?"

Trixie peeled his fingers off of her. "How about I call you?" she asked.

"Oh," was all Jake could say as he realized that she really didn't want to see him. "Yeah, alright." He nodded before they entered back into the den where he grabbed his stuff, excluding his laptop. Trixie sat where she had been sitting before as she looked at the work Alex had done on the board while she stepped out. "I'm off," Jake announced as he slung his bag over his shoulder. Trixie gave him a small wave, but didn't look up. "Night, guys," was the last thing Jake said before leaving to meet his grandfather.

Alex turned to Trixie after hearing the front door close behind Jake. "It's probably not any of my business, but are you and Jake alright?" he asked looking sincerely concerned.

"Jake and I are fine," she replied. "Thanks though."

Alex nodded before pulling Jake's laptop to him and going through their notes. "It's just I've noticed some tension growing between you two during this project," he shrugged, "and if you want to talk I-"

"You know what?" Trixie cut him off. "You're right, it's not your business. Now, can we please finish this?" she asked irritated. Alex put his hands up in a surrender like gesture and then both went back to work.

OoOoO

It was Monday morning as Jake sat on the stairs that led up to the front door of his high school as he waited for Trixie to show up. Mornings had been the roughest on her as she and Spud used to come to school practically every day together. Jake knew it was the time where she missed him the most and so was a bit surprised to see her coming into his view smiling and laughing.

He couldn't exactly see who she was with as other students passed him and some stood in his way. He was thinking it was good to see her smile again, until he saw who she was with, which just happened to be Alex. "Why am I not surprised?" Jake asked himself, frowning as he stood.

"Morning, Jake," Trixie greeted him as Alex handed him back his laptop.

"It's all done. Ten pages and doubled spaced," Alex informed him. "I kept the notes though, to study over for the presentation."

"I thought you said you were going to call?" Jake addressed towards Trixie as he completely ignored Alex.

"I didn't mean anytime soon," she stated before grabbing Alex's sleeve and dragging him behind her as she walked into the school.

Jake caught up with Trixie at his locker as her was located a few down from his own. Alex was nowhere to be seen. Jake figured he had to go to his own before class. "What's with the cold shoulder lately?" Jake asked, not looking at her as he prepared his books.

"What's wrong with having my own space?" she asked, her voice greatly gentler than before.

"Nothing," Jake replied. "It's just other than that project, we really haven't hung out since. . . you know." He finally turned his head towards her.

"I don't want to talk about Spud," Trixie told him as she pulled out a book. "Besides, when it was the three of us, it's not like we hung out a lot anyway."

"What are you talking about?" Jake asked. "We hung out all the time." He closed his locker.

"Yeah," Trixie also closed hers. "But always on your terms. When you needed help as the Am Drag."

Jake looked taken back. "Didn't realize that helping me was such a burden."

Trixie sighed. "It's not," she said quickly. "It's just your life. . ." she trailed off.

"What about it?" he asked looking almost offended.

Trixie's gaze dropped. "When Spud was here, there was a balance, you know? A sense of normalcy."

With her words Jake felt a little guilty. His life was far from normal and maybe it had finally gotten to Trixie as he remembered when she and Spud were exposed to his world and wondered what things would have been like if he had used the potion Fu Dog had given him to alter their memories.

Maybe he had been selfish for not using it and maybe Spud had been too for allowing them to remember him when no one else did. But Jake knew where Spud was coming from, because sometimes that extra edge comes from knowing that someone is in your corner, no matter the distance.

"But I guess Spud wasn't all that normal either, huh?" Trixie asked once again looking at Jake.

"Things are going to get better," he promised her. "But lets not have what happen tear down our friendship. We're stronger than that."

Trixie pursed her lips together before nodding her head. "Yeah," she said softly.

"So um, what's with up with hanging with Alex?" Jake couldn't help but ask.

Trixie gave a small shrugged. "After you left Saturday, boy was buggin' for a little while, but then we got to talking," she explained. "He's not as bad as you're always making him out to be." Trixie then gave off a small laugh. "Did you know that he was under the impression that we were dating."

Both of Jake's eyebrows went up as he forced a laugh. "Really?" he said, his hand going to the back of his head. "I wonder where he got that idea." More laughter escaped his lips before dying out lamely.

"Yeah, it's kind of weird really," Trixie commented, not really picking up on Jake's mannerism. "When my mom called me from Tahiti, she was kind of under the same expression."

"Hmm," Jake thought about it for a moment. "I guess with no one remembering. . . I guess it looks like we spend a lot to time together. It would be the obvious conclusion anyway."

"Well, that's one rumor that needs to be kicked in the butt," Trixie said as Alex finally approached.

"Walk you to class?" he asked and she agreed, leaving Jake to walk in the opposite direction towards his own class.

OoOoO

Although things had appeared to have been patched up during that morning between the two, Jake still saw little of Trixie. His duties as the American Dragon had picked up and his training had become more intense. Especially on the days when Haley and her Dragon Master, Sun Park, would show up for a sparring match. Jake hated to admit it, but the margin that he would defeat her grew smaller with each match until finally there was none. Haley was improving at a rapid rate and he didn't know weather to be proud or just plain annoyed.

Trixie had been spending a lot of time with Alex as the month passed and Jake did his best to bite his tongue about it. He knew, deep down that he trusted Trixie's instinct when it came to people and figured she was right about his unfounded dislike towards the other boy.

Jake was at his normal training ground with Haley. It was just the two of them for the day as they did their brother-sister thing. The day pretty much consisted of training within their human forms for times when going into their dragon form couldn't help them. Haley had joined a gymnastic class down at the community center a few years ago and so was very agile and flexible, which Jake hated because it made it hard to land a hit on her. . . not that he was really trying to hit her that it.

"Hold still!" Jake yelled as he threw an opened handed strike only to have Haley crouch to the ground before sweeping her leg across the ground coming into contact with Jake and sending him straight on his back.

Haley stood before she rested her foot on Jake's chest. "You're really bad at this," she said with a smile. "What's that make it now, seven to two?" she asked.

"Thought we weren't keeping score?" Jake asked as he pushed Haley foot off and sat up.

"No, you said _you_ weren't keeping score. So. . ." she got back into position, "again?"

Jake jumped up. "Hell yeah. I think I saw an opening during that last match." He told her before charging towards her. He jumped into the air rolling into a ball before going over Haley's head and landing behind her just off to the side. Before she could react, Jake stuck her back causing her to lose her balance and fall over for just a moment before flipping so not to land on her face.

She came back at him with several high kicks toward his head, Jake blocking each one as they came down on him arm. Jake, seeing the opening he needed, struck her hard with an open palm, straight into her stomach. Haley immediately recoiled holding onto to her stomach as she dropped to her knees. She groaned before Jake came to her. "You okay? I didn't mean to hit you that hard," he began as he bent over her to help her up, but as his hands came closer to her she grabbed his wrist and flipped him over, causing him once again to land on his back.

"Eight-two," Haley called happily as she stood up.

"I hate you." Jake narrowed his eyes as she put her hand out to help him up.

"You're just a swore loser," she told him as he reached up for her, but instead of grabbing her hand, he grabbed her wrist. Haley screamed in surprise as Jake flipped her and she too ended up on her back. She turned her head to look at her brother. "You suck."

"I know," he laughed sitting up. It was then that he heard his cell phone ring. They had left their stuff under the shade of one of trees and so Jake made a slow jog over to his things. He held his sore back as he did so. He then rested on his knees as he pulled his cell from his bag. He checked the caller I.D. and was surprised to see Trixie's name. It had been a while since they had spoken properly . "Hey, Trix," he spoke, but the only sound he was greeted with was the sound of crying. "Trixie?" Jake said unsurely.

"They're going to kill me," she said in between her tears.

Jake immediately stood up, panic rushing through his entire body at her words. . . they had been the same words his mother had said to him the night she was taken from them. "Who?" he barked at her. "Where are you?" At that time Haley had made her way over and asked what was wrong, but she went unnoticed by her brother, his concentration on one thing. "Trixie, where are you?" he asked again, this time more urgent as she cried harder. "Trixie!"

"At home," she finally answered.

"I'm on my way," he told her and then turned to Haley. "Go home," he told her before running back into the clearing, his wings being the first thing to appear as he took to the sky and the rest of his dragon form followed. Within a few minute's time, Jake could now see his destination. He went back into his human form, except for his wings, as he came to Trixie's fire escape outside of her open bedroom window.

"Trixie!" he yelled as his feet gently touched down in her bedroom. "Trixie!" he called again when he got no answer. Her bedroom was empty and so he left it to look elsewhere. He was only in the hallway for a moment when he heard crying coming from behind him in the direction of the master bedroom.

He made his way quickly to the room and found Trixie laying on the floor as she cried, the house phone just out of her reach. Jake sighed in relief as he realized she was safe. He walked over to her before kneeling beside her. "Trixie? Baby girl, what's wrong?" he asked as he helped her sit up. "What happened? You scared the hell out of me with that phone call," he confessed.

Trixie said nothing as she leaned on the wall, her eyes fixed on the bathroom that was adjacent to the room. Jake turned his torso curiously towards it. He then looked back to Trixie before standing up and walking over to it. The door was closed and so Jake slowly turned the knob before pushing it open. His mouth fell open as his eyes landed on the sink counter. His head turned back to Trixie who was no longer looking in that direction. Jake stepped inside as he looked at three different kinds of pregnancy test. It didn't take Jake long to figure out that they all read positive.

Jake entered back into the bedroom and then approached Trixie before resting on his knees before her. He held one of the tests in his hands. "How could you be this stupid?" he asked her. "There's birth control, condoms, and you-"

"I didn't plan for it to happen, alright?" she told him. "It just sort of did." Her tears were beginning to subside, but hearing Jake's opinion of her only made her feel worst. "They're going to kill me, Jake. My parents are going to kill me."

"Stop saying that," Jake asked of her. "Dammit," he whispered to himself and then addressed his friend again. "Am I the first you've told?" She nodded. "Do you want me there with you, when you tell Alex?" he asked. Trixie looked at him oddly. "What?" He didn't understand her expression.

Tears begin to fall again. "You're an asshole, you know that?" she told him before covering her face with one of her hands. "You must really think I'm some sort of whore to sleep with a guy I've known for about a minute."

"Come on, I would never think that of you," he told her truthfully. "It's just that you and Alex have been so close lately and-"

"The baby is Spud's," Trixie blurted out.

Jake looked at her for a long time. "No," he whispered, knowing it was very clear from the way Spud had been acting and what Johanna had told them that he knew he was leaving. _Why would he risk something like this?_ Jake wondered.

He tried standing up, needing fresh air to think when Trixie grabbed onto him. "Jake, please," she begged. "Please. . . don't go."

Jake easily gave into her request as he pulled her into a hug. His skin tingled as he held her. "It's going to be alright," he told her tenderly as he stroked her back. "We'll get through this."

Trixie shook her head against his chest. "What am I'm going tell my parents when they ask me about the father?" she asked.

"Tell them the truth," he suggested without thinking.

The girl in is arms pulled away, wiping away her tears as she did so. "Are you nuts? Tell them I'm pregnant by a boy I've known for years, but they no longer remember?" she scoffed. "Yeah, after hearing that I'm sure I'll be getting a first class ticket to the happy hotel," she told Jake.

"Well, you don't have to tell them." Jake licked his lips, which suddenly felt dry at what he was about to say. "You could get an abortion," he murmured halfheartedly.

"No," Trixie turned down his idea. "My family is Pro-life and so am I." Trixie's hand then rested on her stomach. "Besides, it's the very last thing I have of him, so adoption is out too. I won't give up my baby," she said firmly. "Oh God," she whispered, the matter of her situation hitting her again before she clung back onto Jake, who did not reject her as he held her even tighter.

He didn't like seeing his friend like this. Her whole world was about to change with the coming of this new life and she would be responsible for it. And even if she had the support of her family, it wouldn't be enough without what she needed from Spud. It was right there that Jake decided he didn't want to see her struggle like that and so offered Trixie another suggestion, who gasped when she heard it. "Say what?"

"You heard me," he began as he looked into her eyes, allowing her to know he was a hundred percent sure about this. "Tell them the baby. . . _is mine_."

To be Continued. . .


	7. Respect

Posted: July 13, 2006

**Chapter Seven**:** Respect**

Trixie Carter looked long and hard at the boy holding her in his arms after he had told her that he would claim her child. She couldn't help but to wonder why a person with so many responsibilities already on his plate would agree to take care of a child that wasn't his? So she continued to stare into his dark black eyes, hoping that within them she would be able to find an answer to her question. But for all the searching she did, all she found was the love of a friend, who was determine not to watch her fall.

Well, Trixie wasn't a pushover, nor some damsel in distress, and though she appreciated the offer to the very core of her, she could only give him one answer. "No," she whispered as she shook her head as she finally pulled away from Jake and wiped away the remainder of her tears. "I can't allow you to do that. It's just wrong," she told him.

"How is it wrong, that I don't want to see you raise your child alone?" he asked of her.

Trixie smiled at his persistence. She had truly lucked out with having someone like him in her life. Trixie then blinked a few times in surprise, because although she had been looking at nothing but him, it was only now that she really took in his from. "You know, with your wings, you kind of look like an angel," she informed him.

Jake didn't understand at first, that is, not until Trixie reached out and her fingers ran across the thin, but durable skin of his wings. It was then that he realized that he had been in so much of a hurry to find her that he actually didn't completely change back into his human form. He slightly frowned as he allowed his wings to dissolve away. "Trust me. . . I'm nobody's angel."

"Look, Jake, your offer is beyond sweet, but us lying to people about this just doesn't sit well with me," she voiced her concern. "And it's not like we could keep it for long. As soon as the baby is born, people will know it's not yours."

"So you want to raise this baby alone?" Jake asked.

"You act as if people don't do it all the time, Jake. It's nothing new," she explained. "I can do it on my own."

"But I'm trying to tell you, you don't have to, Trixie. I am more than willing to be what this child needs," he explained.

"I can't agree to this. I can't," she told him. "It would be selfish of me to even consider it. Besides, what would Spud think if he-"

Jake frowned before cutting her off. "Trixie, you heard what Johanna said. The chances of Spud coming back. . . they aren't good." Jake's shoulders slumped over as he finally said the words out loud. "We have to play this as if it's the worst case scenario."

"Have you no faith in him?" she asked.

"I do," he confirmed. "But I don't know what he's up against or what he is even doing or why for that matter. I have faith in him, but it's hard to have when we've been left in the dark." An idea then popped into Jake's head. "We have to see Johanna again."

"She told us not to come back," Trixie reminded him.

"You're carrying her niece or nephew. She has to see us. She has to tell us what is going on with Spud or at least be able to tell him what's going on with you," he hoped.

Trixie nodded her head as she stood up. "It's worth a shot, I guess." She sat on her parent's bed. "When should we try to see her?" she asked.

Jake sat next to her. "As soon as possible. Maybe even today if we can," he replied.

OoOoO

Later that day Jake and Trixie found themselves outside of Johanna's front door again. "Well, let me guess," Johanna began as she looked at Trixie. "You've discovered you're pregnant?"

Trixie looked at her suspiciously. "How did you know?"

"Come inside," she looked to Jake, "both of you." The two teenagers followed Johanna into the living room where they took a sit while Johanna remained standing. She cleared her throat before she regarded them. "I know why you are here, but I can't help you. There is no way that I can contact Arthur," she explained.

"If you can just tell me where he is," Jake begged. "I can handle the rest."

"If you find him now, he will be in violation of our laws and lose his right to the throne. He has to do this alone."

Jake looked at her in confusion. "Throne?"

Johanna closed her eyes and sighed as she realized what she had let slip. "Shit," she whispered to herself.

"What must he do alone?" Trixie asked.

Johanna stared at them for a moment as she weighed her options. "Alright, if my brother trusted you enough to give you the Jewel of Eskaw. . . I guess, I have no choice but to trust you as well." She took a sit on the lazy-boy chair. She looked at Jake as she began. "My brothers-"

"Brothers?" Trixie interrupted.

"Please, let me tell my story," Johanna insisted and Trixie indicated she would remain silent. "My brothers and I are not of this world- no," she rethought her words. "That makes us sound like aliens," she smiled at the thought. "I guess the right word would be dimension," she began again. "My brother Spud is the last male of our father's line. On his eighteenth birthday, he had to return home to claim his right as the true heir, but to prove that he is worthy there is a test he must survive."

Trixie visibly looked upset as she heard Johanna speak the word, survive. "This test is not easy. Two of three of our older brothers have already done this test and have failed. I am not eligible to claim the throne as I learned on my eighteenth birthday that I was illegitimate and therefore have no rights to it." Johanna then shook her head. "Spud is talented, but I fear for his life."

"Wait," Jake raised an eyebrow, only a little passed the knowledge that one of his best friends was royalty. "What happened to the other older brother? Did he survive?"

"Yes and no. During our eldest brother's younger days, he did a lot of dimension jumping and while visiting this one fell in love with it." Johanna smiled. "No, that's wrong. He fell in love with a girl here, but bringing her to our dimension, though not unheard of, was impossible it seemed for him. So being the eldest with four younger siblings after him, he denounced his chance at the throne and stayed here to raise a family with her," she explained. "I came to visit him many years ago and ended up adoring this dimension as well. Spud and I have been here ever since."

"So Spud didn't have to go, he could have given up his chance?" Trixie asked.

"No, being the last of our father's line, he had no choice. If he does not survive and claim the throne, it will fall to our eldest brother's line. Our eldest brother, has not told his family who he is, therefore his children do not have the knowledge to survive such a test. Spud could not denounce the throne in good conscience."

"And if he survives?" Jake probed.

"Our people are in great hardship at this moment. He must put things in order before he's allowed by our parliament to jump dimensions. News of if he lived or died, will be years from now."

Jake suddenly felt a strange tingle. He looked down and noticed Trixie had lightly taken his hand in comfort. "Years?" she looked at Johanna in disbelief. "Can't you go back to your home dimension to see what's going on?"

Johanna shook her head as she stood up and walked over to the fireplace. On the mantle rested a picture of her and Spud. "I wish I could, but I am not allowed to return home for reasons I do not care to discuss."

"How did you know I was pregnant?" Trixie asked, not able to hold her curiosity.

Johanna turned from the mantle back to the guest that sat in her home. "Because I can't touch you without feeling like my skin is on fire," she told her. "The protection of the jewel is doubled when the receiver is with child of the giver. At first it was mostly used to ward off any other male suitors from our dimension. But with the changing times of our world, it is used to keep enemies from harming the next generation of our line."

"Johanna, in your honest option, can Spud do this?" Jake stared at her intensely, longing for the words he wanted to hear.

Johanna couldn't look at them as she answered, "I don't know."

OoOoO

Jake swallowed hard as he stood in his living room looking at the people looking at him. Trixie stood next to him, her hand once again in his as she shook slightly. She seem to be just as nervous about this as he was. And who wouldn't be as in front of them sat members from both of their families, which include Jake's dad, Johnathan, his sister, grandfather, and Fu Dog. For Trixie it included her mother and grandmother because her father was on tour somewhere overseas.

Jake had suggested to Mrs. Carter about the three of them coming over to have dinner with him and his family, telling her that he had already confirmed that it was okay with his dad. Mrs. Carter thought it was a nice gesture and politely accepted the invitation. She was now looking at him curiously, her forehead faintly creasing, as Jake had told them that he an announcement, which was shortly followed by Trixie standing next to him.

Jake's eyes then lingered on his twelve year old sister as Fu Dog rested his head on her lap before she went stretching him behind the ear. Jake wondered how he would react if it were a few years later and she was standing up here with some boy with the news that he had. What would he want for her? He continued to wonder. He then looked to Trixie who was already looking at him and gave her a gentle smile.

Trixie smiled back, but it was one that did not reach her eyes. Reading her expression Jake knew she was letting him know that if he wanted to back out that this was the time to do so, because after this there was no turning back. Jake simply nodded his head in understanding before seeing her give a small sigh of relief as she finally looked to her own mother. "Mom," she began slowly. "Jake and I are-"

"-Getting married," Jake blurted out as he cut Trixie off.

"What?" was the word Jake simultaneously heard from several people, one which included Trixie herself.

"Jake, what the hell?" Trixie whispered to him. "This isn't what we talked about."

Before Jake could respond another voice cut in. "You two can not be serious," Mrs. Carter stood up to express her concerns. "You're just kids. You're not even done with high school yet. Besides, you're not even old enough to get married without our consent."

"I'll be eighteen in several mouths," Jake informed her. "I'll be old enough then."

"But she won't be," Mrs. Carter grabbed her daughter's arms. "And I won't give consent. We're going home," she told Trixie. "I can't believe you brought me here to hear such nonsense."

"Why don't you just let the babies speak?" Mrs. Carter turned to see that her mother-in-law hadn't gotten up from her seat.

"Yes, please, let us speak," Jake pleaded with Trixie's mom.

Mrs. Carter looked a little taken back before turning to Johnathan and Lao Shi. "Mr. Long. . . and Mr. Luong, certainly you two must agree with me."

Jake looked to his grandfather for support, but Lao Shi seem to be avoiding eye contact with him.

Johnathan then nodded his head as he took off his glasses and cleaned them with the bottom of his shirt. "I do. The two of them are much too young to even be considering marriage." He replaced his glasses before looking at his son. "Maybe in a few years, after college, when you've both have had a little more life experience," he reasoned. "Maybe then you two can discuss marriage and who knows maybe by that time you'll see how silly this is now."

"Life experience?" Jake looked to his father incredulously. "Are you kidding me? Can you really say that to my face after-"

"Jake!" Lao Shi yelled out before Jake's anger allowed him to say more than he should.

"I've heard enough," Mrs. Carter stated. "We're going home," she told her daughter again. "So you can explain to me why-"

"I'm pregnant," Trixie finally announced.

Mrs. Carter's mouth fell open at the words. She then shook her head. "No you're not," was all she could say.

"Yeah," Jake spoke up stepping behind Trixie as he took hold of her arms. "She is. . . and we're getting married with or without your consent."

"Oh, Jake," Jake heard Lao Shi softly say.

Johnathan sighed. "I'm very disappointed in you, son. I don't even know what your mother is going to think when she returns."

Mrs. Carter looked confused. "Wait, I thought his mother had-"

"Mom," Trixie quickly cut her off. She then closed her eyes as she slightly shook her head, telling her it wasn't a question she should be asking.

Johnathan Long learned years ago about his wife's side of the family and their dragon bloodline. It had been difficult for him to adjust at first, but once he did, the tension that had built up in the house for years of having to hide it from him slowly faded away almost as if it had never been there. It was new for Jake and Haley be able to use their abilities without fear of being caught by their father. It had made life at home so much easier.

But when the events of last year took place and their mother, Susan was killed, it was hard for Johnathan to digest the story as Haley retold it in tears. She cried harder as Jake refused to look at her as she did so. He blamed her, she knew, no matter how many times he told her he didn't, and feared her father would blame her as well.

Johnathan than entered into a state of denial as he refused to believe his wife was killed and the part his family took in it. Instead, he was in the mind frame that she was on a very long trip and would return any day. Jake, Haley, and Lao Shi could do nothing but play along with his false belief as people dealt with grief in different ways.

Eventually, the night came to an end and the Carters made their way home, but as soon as Trixie arrived she called up Jake. "Are you out of your mind!" was her first question as soon as he picked up the phone. "Telling them about the baby would have been hard enough, but what you did was uncalled for."

"I know," Jake agreed as he settled in his room. "It just seemed like the right thing to do."

"Dammit, Jake," she sighed. "Don't you think this has gotten a little out of hand?"

"I told you, Trixie, I got your back on this," he tired to reassure her.

"This isn't real, Jake. You can't be serious. You don't really want to marry me."

Jake shrugged. "I could do worst," he joked.

"This isn't funny," she stated seriously. "I mean, what about Rose?" she asked softly.

Jake frowned. "I don't want to talk about Rose," he made clear.

"You never want to talk about anything," she complained. "I know for a fact that you still love her. You know I never liked her, but marrying me. . . you would lose any chance you would have to be with her," she told him.

"I lost my chance a long time ago with Rose," he told her sadly.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"You were right about her, okay? I should have never trusted her. She ratted me out to the Huntsclan, Trixie. About a year ago," he explained.

"A year ago?" she questioned. "You mean. . . your mom?"

"When they realized who I was, they took her as bait, figuring they could lure not only me, but my grandfather as well. We knew it was a trap, but we had no other choice. We didn't even know Haley had followed us to the rendezvous spot. But I was glad she was there. Me and gramps had gotten ourselves into a pinch and Haley bailed us out. I was _so_ proud of her." He smiled. "I mean, baby girl, was kicking butt and taking names. But when we had to separate to cover more ground, I was still worried about her, but she told me she could handle herself and I believed her, but then. . ." Jake softly trailed off not able to finish the story. "I'm sorry. I can't."

"It's okay," she comforted him.

"You know what? I think I'm going to call it a night, okay?" he told her suddenly feeling very tired. Trixie told him goodnight before they both hung up the phone. Jake then found himself staring at the phone when we heard a soft knock at the door. He looked up to see his grandfather enter the room. He offered him a forced smile. "Whaddup, G?" he greeted the older man.

"I have a very important matter to discuss with you, young one," he spoke as he approached his grandson. "This marriage can not take place," he told him.

Jake's shoulders slumped. "Not you too, grandpa."

"I am sorry, but I can not stand by and allow you to make the same mistake as Susan," he told him.

"Mistake?" Jake sighed, knowing that his parents had had a child before him that didn't survive childbirth. "Alright, the baby wasn't plan, but please, don't call-"

"I am not referring to the child," he said, which confused Jake. "You can not marry a human, the Luong bloodline has been tainted enough."

Jake only blinked at Lao Shi for a moment before the word 'tainted' actually registered. "Are you talking about me and Haley?" he asked confused and a bit angry. "You -you think because we are part human that our blood is tainted?" he had a hard time asking. "Is this why whenever we went to Draco Island for the Summits you seemed so ashamed of me?"

"No!" Lao Shi answered loudly. "I have never been ashamed of you or your sister. I could not ask for finer, more honorable grandchildren," he reassured him.

"Then tell me gramps, how is it honorable to ignore the responsibilities I have to this child?" he demanded to know.

Lao Shi took a deep breath as he composed himself. "Jake, I know you, you have been raised right and as your Dragon Master and your grandfather, I would like to think I had a hand in that. I do not believe you would allowed such a situation to occur."

"What do you mean?" Jake asked.

"The child, it is not yours, is it?" Lao Shi asked.

Jake's brow furrowed. "Do you know what you suggest about Trixie when you say that?"

Lao Shi slightly nodded. "I do. I believe she is trapping you."

Jake looked at Lao Shi in disbelief for a moment. He then stood before side stepping his grandfather and holding his door wide open. "It's late gramps, I think it's time for you to go home." Jake refused to look at his grandfather as he left and closed the bedroom door behind the older man. Jake then leaned against the closed door as he realized that he had slightly lost something for his grandfather he thought he never would. . . _respect_.

To Be Continued. . .


	8. Comfort

Posted: September 25, 2006

**Chapter Eight**: **Comfort**

It was between classes as Trixie looked for the next book she needed from her locker. She jumped in surprised when she closed it, she had not noticed Alex standing behind her door. "Hey," she smiled politely at him.

"Hey," he replied breathlessly. "I was just wondering, got anything planned for this weekend?"

"Yeah, I kind of do," she told him, as she was scheduled to start prenatal care. "Why?"

"It's just," he began nervously, "we've been kind of seeing a lot of each other lately and I enjoy your company," he explained. "Plus, I'm not sure if you've noticed, but I like you, a lot." Trixie's dark cheeks redden a little as she realized where the conversation was heading. "So I was hoping we could make this thing between us official," he ended with a smile, but when he realized that Trixie wasn't smiling back at him it faded.

"Alex," she said softly. "I'm sorry, I can't date you."

"Oh." Alex gave her a hurt expression. "I just thought. . ." He shrugged. "I was pretty sure that you liked me too."

"But I do like you," she confirmed. "It's just that," she paused. "Jake."

"What does Jake have to do with us?" Alex was confused to hear the other boy's name brought up.

"Have you really never noticed that he's not fond of you?" Trixie asked. Alex first looked at her in disbelief, but then his expression soften as he remembered the way Jake had been treating him when it came to Trixie.

Jake, in Alex's opinion, was very much a loner. No matter how many time Alex offered, Jake refused, time and time again, to get involved in any of the after school activities their school had to offer. When they had group projects, Alex noticed how Jake would quickly do his part and then turn it over to the group leader so he wouldn't have to be bothered.

Even when Alex had worked with him, Jake seemed very anxious to be done, even though they had plenty of time. Alex also noticed how the only person he ever seem to hang out with _willingly_ was Trixie. And then something clicked inside of Alex's head and he sighed in understanding. Jake was threatened by him. He thought that Alex was trying to take his only friend.

"Rethink us, Trixie," Alex began. "Know that I would never come in between what you and Jake have," he spoke the true. "I know he's your friend."

"Yeah, he is, but. . . he's more than that," Trixie confessed as she found she could no longer look at Alex.

Alex frowned. "That's not what you said when I asked you before."

"I know what I told you." Trixie slowly looked up. "It's just that Jake and I have a lot of history," she tried to explain. "Our friendship is very tangled and very complicated," she admitted. "I can't get into details, but the two of us have gone through a lot and recently something else has come up. And I'm sorry, but unfortunately it doesn't leave room for anyone else."

"Tangled?" Alex repeated. "It almost sounds like you're trapped within it." Trixie looked at him oddly. "Tell me, Trixie, what kind of _friend_ would not allow you to experience things outside of them?"

Trixie's hand went to her stomach, fisting the material of her shirt. "One of the best I've ever had," she whispered sadly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have class." She went to turn away.

"Trixie, wait," Alex called after her and she turned back to him. "I'll admit, I don't understand you and Jake. I haven't had a friend since I was three years old like you two," he told her. "But please don't count me out. Not yet," he asked of her. "And if you ever find the time, and you just need someone to talk to. . . you have my number, okay?"

Trixie looked at him a moment, she then gave him a small smile before she stepped into him. "You know what, Alex? You're very sweet. You kind of remind me of someone I used to know." She then placed a hand on his chest. "I'll make the time for a call here and there," she promised.

Alex returned her smile, placing his hand on top of hers. "I'm going to hold you to that Ms. Carter," he said sweetly, causing her to slightly blush again as he looked into her eyes. Suddenly they both heard someone clearing their throat. Alex's head jerked up and Trixie quickly turned around to find Jake leaning on his locker.

"Shouldn't you be heading to class?" he asked, his face impassive, as he regarded Trixie.

"Yeah," she replied as she pulled away from Alex before heading down the hall.

Jake then turned his attention to Alex. "You know, I've been very nice to you, but on the reals, homeboy, you need to back off my girl, Trix." Jake pushed himself off the locker. "She's taken," he made clear.

Alex brow furrowed. He was tired of being treated like shit when all he ever tried to do was be Jake's friend. "Taken? No, that's your own little self-delusion," he began. "She's never indicated that the two of you have been anything other than friends," he lied.

"Exactly, I'm her friend and you're nothing more than the dude who can't take a hint. Besides, when I said she was taken," Jake smiled. "I never said by me." Alex's features soften at the words as he wondered what Jake meant by them, but he never had a chance to ask as the bell finally rung and each made their way to their own class.

OoOoO

"I quit," Jake told his grandfather softly as he arrived at the store that day.

Lao Shi looked utterly confused as Jake had made the announcement completely out of the blue. "Quit what?" he asked seriously. "If you mean your duties as the American Dragon, Haley is still not-"

"No, not that," Jake shook his head. "I'm not quitting being the American Dragon," he corrected the other man. "Just working here at the shop, which was only a front anyway," he pointed out.

"But your training," Lao Shi made a point of his own.

"I've been training my ass off for fives years, gramps," Jake said calmly. "I know everything I need to know about being a dragon." He then took a deep breath. "I don't need you anymore."

Lao Shi looked sadden by his grandson's words. "If this is about the other night, and what I may have implied. I meant no disrespect against Trixie," he apologized.

"It's not about that," Jake told him, which was only half the truth as he sat down on a stool in front of the counter. "Trixie and the baby have to be priority in my life now." Lao Shi frowned. "That doesn't mean I'll neglect my other duties, but when it comes to my-" he paused for a moment. "_To my family_, it has to go on the back burner."

"That is not what being the American Dragon is about, Jake," Lao Shi tried to warn him.

"Really?" Jaked questioned. "Then tell me. . . how's grandma?" Lao Shi looked a little taken back as Jake waited for an answer. "Exactly," Jake said after a moment of silence.

"Jake," Lao Shi began slowly. "You are only seventeen-"

"A seventeen year old who has had more responsibility than any grown damn man!" Jake stated heatedly. "I am not a child anymore!"

"Yes, you are!" Lao Shi yelled back. "You showed that to be when you got that sweet little girl in trouble!"

"Oh, so now she's a 'sweet little girl'?" Jake stood up angrily, knocking over his stool by accident as he did so. "When the other night you practically called her a whore to my face?"

"Do not put words in my mouth," Loa Shi ordered. "You are the one making this more difficult than it should be. If you had only settled for a nice dragon girl-"

"I don't want a dragon girl!" Jake made clear. "I don't want to be with anyone else who is going to hurt me!" he let slip his true fear.

Lao Shi looked at him curiously. "What do you mean by that, young one?" he asked carefully.

"Nothing," Jake spat as he turned his back on his grandfather, cursing himself as he did so. He then grip the counter tightly as he took long and deep breaths to try to calm himself. "Just forget what I said."

Lao Shi continued to stare at the back of his grandson. "Jake, my boy, tell me," he began after a few moments. "Do you love Trixie?" he asked.

Jake turned his torso and looked at his grandfather in disbelief. "Of course I do," he told him. "She's my best friend, I do anything for her," he said honestly.

"That is not what I asked," the older man said to him. "I do not mean the love one friend has for another. I mean, do you love her in a way a man is suppose to love a woman?"

Jake frowned as he thought over the question. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Why do you avoid the question?" Lao Shi looked at him oddly. "Trust me, Jake, no matter how honorable you think you are being by marrying Trixie, if your heart is with someone else, your marriage is already doomed to fail," he told him sadly. "I know how strongly you felt about Rose-"

"I don't want to talk about Rose," Jake interrupted his grandfather quietly. "She isn't a part of my life anymore. She hasn't shown her face in a year and I wouldn't care less if I ever saw her again," Jake made clear. "So if you really want an answer, than yes, I love Trixie and once we're married no woman will come before her."

Lao Shi sighed. "You were always a horrible liar, Jake," his grandfather told him. Jake scoffed softly as he shook his head and bent over to pick up the fallen stool.

Of course Jake loved Trixie, no one ever had to question that, but he wasn't _in love_ with her. Jake knew, very well, that her heart already belonged to Spud. And he was convinced, no matter what happened in their lives, that fact was never going to change, and he was honestly all right with that. Besides, in Jake's experience, love complicated things. If he hadn't loved Rose, she would have never been in a position to betray him. Love had blinded him and because of it he lost someone very important to him.

But Jake trusted Trixie, he always had, his heart was safe with her because he knew she would never ask for it. Besides, he had made Spud a promise to watch over her, and though he knew marriage wasn't what he meant, he knew Spud would understand once he learned about the child he had unknowingly left behind. Jake also knew, that though his marriage to Trixie would only be for name sake, that he would never step outside of it, which meant children of his own weren't in his future. But again, that was all right, it wasn't as if he were an only child, the Luong Dragon Bloodline would not die with him.

"You know what? I'm finished with this. I only came to tell you I won't be here after school anymore. I found a real job, one that actually pays," he informed him.

"There is a lot more to raising a family than the money you bring in, Jake," Lao Shi spoke. "A child needs support and love and so does that child's mother."

Jake looked agitated. "What are you saying? That I can't provide that?"

"You'll try, Jake, I know you will, but you are still young and the balance between being a father and Protector of the magical world is difficult to maintain," Lao Shi advised.

"So that's a no, huh?" Jake then shook his head and grabbed his book bag off the floor. "I'm out, gramps," he said before walking towards the door, where he grabbed his skateboard and jumped on it outside before he began rolling down the sidewalk, going in the opposite direction of his home.

Jake thought a leisurely session of skateboarding would take his mind off of the argument he had just had with his grandfather, but it didn't and before long he found himself outside of Trixie's apartment. He knocked on the door and was surprised not to see Trixie, but her mother, who did not look too pleased to see him. "Uhhh, is Trixie home?" he asked a bit nervously.

"Yes, she is. She's in her room," Mrs. Carter told him, but made no attempt to move.

Jake slightly gestured up the stairs. "Can I see her?" he asked.

"Only if you can talk some sense into her," Mrs. Carter replied. "Maybe she'll listen to you. Tell her, if she wants to do right by this child, she'll give it to a family who can take care of it."

"I've already tried," Jake said sincerely. "But she's already made up her mind. I won't fight her on it."

Mrs. Carter's expression soften as she heard Jake's response before she nodded her head and allowed Jake into her home. Jake went up the stairs, skipping two at time. When he came to Trixie's room the door was closed and so he gently knocked on it. "Go away!" she yelled from the other side.

"Trix." Jake leaned onto the door as he placed his hand on the door knob. "It's me."

He then heard some shuffling sounds before she came to unlock her door. She had gotten out of her school clothes in opt for a My Little Pony t-shirt, that looked as if it had seen better days, and a pair of dark green shorts. Her hair was put up into a messy ponytail, which told Jake she had been laying down. "You look like shit," were her first words to him.

"Take a look in the mirror," he countered.

She gave him a small smile before she gestured for him to come in, closing the door behind them. Trixie then climbed back into bed, underneath the sheets before Jake climbed in behind her as he laid on top of them. Trixie then felt Jake's arm snake around her waist before she felt his forehead press against her back, where he simply took a deep breath. Trixie then took her hand and laced her fingers with his.

Trixie had been fighting with her mother since the moment she walked in through the door. Her mother telling or rather yelling at her that she was just a baby herself, that she was ruining her and Jake's life. Trixie, of course, didn't want to hear it, but that didn't stop her mother. Then, through some miracle, the yelling stopped and Trixie retreated to her room, where she just collapse into her bed. Then Jake came to her door, his tired expression looking as if he had just escape the pits of hell himself.

At that point, there was no need for many words, each seeing what the other needed. And so as Trixie felt Jake's hold on her become just a little bit tighter, she found within him the same thing she knew he found within her. . . _comfort_.

To Be Continued. . .


	9. Someone Close to You

**A/N**: This started with me writing down a couple of notes and before I knew it, I had a chapter written. :-D

* * *

Posted: October 1, 2006 

**Chapter Nine: Someone Close To You**

It was seven in the morning as Trixie looked at herself within her bedroom mirror. She had unbutton the bottom buttons of her pajama shirt to examine her slightly protruding stomach. She sighed as she ran a hand across it. Spud had been gone for three months, but she thought about him everyday and hoped wherever he was that he was safe and that he was able to return soon.

With that thought, Trixie prepared for the day. School was over and she was grateful to finally had graduated, but today was still a school day in her mind. New Utretch, her high school, had a tradition of all the seniors getting together the day after graduation to have breakfast at the school. The meal was included in her senior dues so she decided to go.

Trixie fussed as she struggled with a pair of jeans, that she just couldn't seem to get pass her thighs. She finally gave up and abandon them on the floor before she went to the closet to find another pair. "You've got to be kidding me," she said to herself, as she had gotten the jeans up, but couldn't get them fastened. She laid back on her bed, exhausted after struggling for another minute or so. "I need to buy new clothes," she whined, not too fond of having to go shopping.

After another ten minutes, Trixie made her way to the kitchen to find her mother on the house phone. "Of course, dear," she spoke to the person on the other end. "Trixie and I have missed you too." Trixie raised an eyebrow as she noticed the worried expression on her mother's face as she fixed herself something to drink. "I'll see you then." Mrs. Carter then hung up the phone up before looking to Trixie.

"How's dad?" she asked before taking a sip of her water.

"He's doing well. He's coming home," she announced, causing Trixie to spit out her drink.

Trixie's hand came to her mouth for a moment. "When?" she asked.

Telling her mother she was pregnant had been one thing. The two of them had finally stopped fighting when Mrs. Carter realized she wasn't going to win and that Trixie was going to keep her baby. Telling her father though, would be a completely different story. He had been on tour in Europe for seven months, and telling him over the phone just didn't seem right, that and Trixie just didn't want to, because her mother, compared to her father, was nothing more than a teddy bear.

"In a few days, he hasn't confirmed the time yet," Mrs. Carter informed her.

"Okay." Trixie shook her head, as she slowly sat down. "Okay," she repeated staring down at nothing in particular.

Mrs. Carter sighed as she approached her daughter. "Do you want me to tell him for you?"

"No," she replied. "That's something I should do. . . with Jake."

"Whatever you think is best," Mrs. Carter told her as she reached over and straightened out Trixie's hair. She then looked to the clock on the wall. "You should get going or you're going to be late. I found your keys. I hung them on the wall."

Trixie only nodded before she got up and cleaned the water she had spilled. She then headed towards the front of the house and picked up her keys on the way out. It had taken her a total of five times, but Trixie finally passed her drivers test and so was able to drive the car her father had bought her when she turned sixteen.

As she drove to school, Trixie wondered what her father's reaction would be when she and Jake told him the news. She already knew he was going to be very disappointed in her and she hated that. She never wanted to be anything less than that perfect daughter in his eyes, but truth be told, she didn't know her father that well. Being in the military, he had the option of traveling by himself or traveling with his family. He chose to travel by himself, because he didn't want to uproot his family every few years.

Instead he would be away for months on end, home for a little while and then gone again. Even when he was home, there really wasn't much time to spend together as it always seemed he was getting ready for his next trip. It was almost like he a was stranger, who just stop by from time to time. But she loved him or at least the idea of him.

Trixie soon made it to school and made her way to the fifth floor where the cafeteria was located. She was looking around for a familiar face when she surprisingly saw Jake, sitting at their normal table. "Hi," she greeted him as she sat down. "Thought you weren't coming."

"Didn't come for the food. Came for the peace," he explained not looking up from his task as he held a book in one hand and a pencil in the other as he wrote something down.

"What are you doing? You do know school is over with, right?" she questioned.

"It's a Leprechaun dispute that they want me to resolve. I have two days to learn all their laws, so I can make a fair decision," he told her. "I couldn't do it at home. My dad and Haley were driving me up the wall."

"I wish you luck with the dispute. I know you'll make the right choice," she encouraged him.

"Thanks," he said as he erased something and rewrote it.

Trixie licked her lips before she leaned into Jake. "There's something I have to tell you," she whispered and Jake nodded, indicating he was listening. "My father's coming home."

Jake's pencil suddenly stopped before he slowly lifted his head and looked upon Trixie for the first time that day. "The Colonel?"

"Actually, he's been promoted to Brigadier General," she corrected him.

"When is he coming?" he asked.

Trixie shook her head. "Probably within the week," she told him. "Will you be there with me when I tell him," she asked of him.

"Of course, I will." Jake laid his book on the table and turned towards Trixie. He took both of her hands. "So, how are you and the baby?"

Trixie smiled and though she would never admit it, she liked when she had Jake's full attention. "Fine. In fact, I have a doctor's appointment on Thursday at four. I'm getting an ultrasound to make sure we're on the right track," she said. "I can come and pick you up if you want or we can meet there-"

"Trix," Jake straightened up a bit as he shook his head. "I wish you had said something sooner, because Thursday afternoon is no good for me."

"Why?" She looked curious.

"Uh. . . work," he provided.

Trixie's brow furrowed. "I know your work schedule, Jake," she informed him. "You don't work Thursdays. That's why I made the appointment for Thursday." She then felt a bit stupid as she let her shoulders drop. "Oh, you were talking about your Am Drag thing, weren't you?"

"Not exactly. It's something else."

Trixie looked asking of him. "Well?"

Jake said nothing at first as he gradually slipped his hands out of her. He then turned back to the table. "Look, I really need to get this done, okay?" he tried changing the subject.

"Aww, don't tell me you're embarrassed about it." She smiled. "It can't be worst than your secretary job."

"I'm not a secretary," Jake told her. "I'm a data entry clerk. There's a difference."

Trixie cocked an eyebrow. "Do you answer phones? Do you put files away?" Jake nodded. "Then guess what, boy? You're a secretary."

Jake frowned as he was teased. "It's a good job, Trixie, and I was lucky to get it considering they were looking for someone with experience." Jake then shrugged. "Besides, I like working at the dentist office."

"I know," she replied softly as she looked at Jake's determine face as he studied Leprechaun law. "It's just. . . I'm feeling very guilty, Jake."

Jake's frown deepen as he once again looked at Trixie. "Guilty? About what?"

"You," she told him. "You just seem so stressed lately and I know it's because of me. I mean, we've just graduated from high school, but somehow it doesn't mean anything. This should be the greatest moment in our lives. We should be hitting the clubs and just livin' it up before college. . . the _three_ of us," she explained. "Instead, Spud is gone, I'm pregnant, our families are fighting to no end, and we're both working like chickens with our heads cut off." She sighed. "Things just aren't how I pictured them."

Jake lowered his head for a moment. "You know what?" he began. "What I had planned for Thursday isn't important-" Trixie went to interrupt him, but he didn't allow her to. "I didn't want to do it anyway," he confessed. "So I'll meet you at the doctor's office before your appointment, okay?"

Trixie nodded before she felt a hand on her shoulder. It was her friend, Belinda, asking her to come sit with her and some of her friends. Trixie, seeing that Jake was once again deep into his book, took Belinda up on her offer.

OoOoO

"Where is he?" Trixie thought out loud as she stood in the lobby of the hospital, trying not be caught again by the that mean looking nurse who told her she couldn't use her cell phone within the building.

Trixie had arrived fifteen minutes before her scheduled appointment to check in. She was surprised that she didn't have to wait for long as her name was soon called by her doctor. She asked if she could have a few more minutes because she was waiting for someone. That had been ten minutes ago. The doctor would be back any moment and Trixie knew she wouldn't be able to delay her anymore.

"Pick up, dammit," she whispered, as she sat down impatiently. This must have been the eighth call to Jake's cell, but all she received was a voice mail telling her to leave a message. Finally giving up, Trixie turned off her phone and rested her hands in her lap as she looked down at it.

"Trishale Carter?" Trixie couldn't explain why, but she shuttered when she heard her name called before looking up at the doctor. The doctor gave her a warm smile. "Are you ready?" she asked politely.

"Yeah," Trixie replied softly as she stood and then followed the doctor down the hall.

Suddenly she heard her name being called from behind her and turned to see Jake making his way down the hall. A huge smile came to her face. "Sorry. Excuse me," Jake said as he ran into a few people making his way to her. "I know I'm late. I'm sorry," he apologized.

Trixie's smile faded as she saw the scar across Jake's neck. "What happened here?" she asked as her fingers gently went to examine the wound, but Jake caught her hand before she could.

He looked at the doctor who was patiently waiting for them and then back at Trixie. "We'll talk later," he told her, before a worried expression filtered on to his face. "Let's make sure the baby is alright, okay?"

Trixie nodded before once again following the doctor. They were led to a small room and within moments, Trixie was laying back with her stomach exposed to the doctor. She giggled as the conductive jelly was smeared over her stomach. "It's cold," she told Jake, who gave her a smile that for some reason didn't reach his eyes. Trixie ignored it.

"I assume this is your first child?" the doctor asked as she placed the transducer on Trixie's skin.

"Yes, ma'am," Trixie answered as an image slowly began to appear on the sonogram beside them.

"How old are you?" she asked.

"I'll be eighteen next month," she replied.

The doctor nodded as she studied the image on the screen. "About 15 to 16 weeks, yes?" After telling her she was correct, a small frown came to the doctor's face.

"Is something wrong?" Jake couldn't help but ask.

"Well, for the time frame, your baby seems a bit small." The doctor than turned to Trixie. "Are you aware that during pregnancy you should be gaining anywhere from 25 to 35 pounds?" she asked.

"I know and I have been," Trixie told her. "You can ask my jeans at home, trust."

"Then have you been under a lot of stress?" she asked.

"Yeah," Trixie admitted sadly. "A lot actually."

"Do you work? Because it could be your job? If it is-"

"It's not," Trixie cut her off. "I work as a receptionist at a hotel. The people are very nice there."

"Then is it school or home?" Trixie lowered her eyes as home was mentioned. The doctor sighed. "Stress can play a major factor when it comes to your child's health," she informed them. "If you can't find a way to reduce that stress, even if you go into labor at full term, your baby is at risk at being born underweight, which can lead to a lot of problems. And with being a teenager and African-American, you are already in a higher bracket of having a premature baby."

"Great," Trixie said sarcastically to herself.

"All I can tell you for right now is to stay healthy, continue gaining wight, and reduce your stress as best as you can," the doctor advised them.

Jake took Trixie's hand as she seemed to be in her own little world. "I'll make sure she does that," Jake replied. "So other than that is the baby okay?" he asked.

The doctor nodded. "Yes, ten fingers and ten toes." The doctor then smiled. "Now ask your real question," she told him.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" he asked.

With the transducer still on Trixie's stomach the doctor turned back to the sonogram. "At 16 weeks it maybe a bit too early to- Oh, no, wait. Here we are." She reached out and placed her finger on the screen. "If you look right here, you can just make out the genitals." She then turned back to Jake. "Congratulations, it's a boy. If you want I can take a picture for you."

"Thank you," Jake said with a nodded.

Ten minutes later, Jake was driving Trixie's car as she stared out the window. "Trix, you okay over there?" Jake asked. She hadn't said anything since the doctor told her she could be at risk for a premature birth.

"Just a little worried," she told him.

"Well, I'm not. Not anymore," Jake confessed. "Everything is going to be fine."

Trixie than turned to him, once again spotting the wound on his neck. "So how did you get hurt?" she asked, which immediately had an effect on the happy expression on Jake's face.

"I was caught off guard, on my way to the hospital, by a Banshee," he told her.

"What's a Banshee?" she asked.

"A fairy that predicts-" Jake paused before starting again. "A fairy with a hell of voice," he told her. "After she left, I was very disoriented and couldn't hear for five minutes."

"You should have had your ears checked by a doctor while we were there," Trixie suggested, but Jake only shook his head. "So what does a Banshee look like?" was her next question.

Jake's face scrunched up. "I don't know," he replied. "All I really remember was that voice and long silver hair."

"Hair, Jake?" Trixie looked at him curiously. Jake only shrugged.

Jake soon parked Trixie's car in her garage and the two of them got out. "You should hurry home. It looks like rain," Trixie announced as she looked up at the sky.

"Yeah, alright. I'll catch you later," he told her as he passed her, her keys. Trixie then watched as he went into his dragon form and took to the skies.

She yawned, suddenly feeling very tired as she made her way into her home, but before she could find sleep, something tugged at her and so she went to her computer and searched the word Banshee.

Her breath became stuck in her throat as a sentence struck a cord within her. "Seeing a Banshee serves as a omen to your own death," she read horrified, thankful that Jake didn't get a good look at the fairy. She honestly didn't know what she would do without him. But it was the next sentence that made Trixie's blood run cold, causing her to place her hand on her stomach as she read on. "Hearing a Banshee's cry, predicts the death of a family member or. . . _someone close to you_."

To Be Continued. . .

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**A/N**: So much for reducing stress. 

To tell you the truth this isn't where I wanted to end this chapter. My original idea ended with Jake and Trixie in bed and not just hugging. -_Insert Evil Laughter_ _Here_- BUT I'm lazy and this felt like a good place to stop.


	10. Count Me In

**A/N**: Wow, three updates in a little over a week. I'm pretty damn proud of myself, but don't expect another update for awhile. ;-)

* * *

Posted: October 4, 2006

**Chapter Ten: Count Me In**

It was a little before eight as Trixie arrived home from work. She had walked through just in time as the rain began to fall as it had been raining off and on the entire week. She greeted her mother who looked to be on the way out. She then told Trixie, as she picked up an umbrella out of the closest, that she was going to go pick up her father from LaGuardia. A sense of dread came over Trixie at the news as she closed the door behind her mother.

She knew depending on the rain and the traffic, that she had at least two hours before they would be back. She then headed to the den with the house phone in hand as she sat down and turned on the television. She checked the time, knowing that Jake got off at six, but usually was only home long enough to get Haley so that they could fly around the city on patrol. So she tried his cell, but because of the bad weather she couldn't get through.

Trixie figured she would try again later. In the mean time, she thought she would keep herself busy by doing some light cleaning around the house and tended to her grandmother, hoping it would help calm her nerves. It helped for awhile until she once again noticed the time and saw how quickly it seem to be going. "I swear time is on crack," she said to herself before once again trying to reach Jake and as it went unanswered, panic slowly started to invade her.

Trixie didn't know what she would do, if she couldn't reach him in time and telling her father the news alone, frightened her to the core, but as she heard the front door open and then the voice's of her parents, she realized this was something she was going to have to face alone. "Trishale, I'm home," Trixie heard her father calling for her.

She looked at the phone one last time before placing it on the coffee table and standing up. "Coming," she replied before existing the den.

OoOoO

Jake placed his hands on the blue tiles within his shower before tilting his head up and he allowing the warm water to hit his face as he breathed through his nose. It had been a long day and he wanted nothing more than to fall into a nice deep sleep.

After work, Jake arrived home to find Haley on the piano. He had asked her if she was up to learning about Leprechaun law and how their trail system worked as he was finally prepared to give the disputing Leprechaun family a verdict after four days of testimony. It had been a grueling ordeal, but it was something he wanted to expose her too and know about first hand.

Near the end of everything is when the rain began to pour down, but it hadn't lasted long on their side of town. Jake and Haley then took to the skies as they split up and made their nightly routes. There was a small incident with a troll and an ogre over a bridge or under it to be more precise, but other than that it had been a slow night.

Jake soon stepped out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist and another on his head as he tried to dry his hair. As he walked down the hall to his room he heard the doorbell ring. "Haley," he called knowing she was in her room when he saw her bedroom door closed. "Haley!" he cried louder when he didn't receive a reply. He then sighed in irritation as he walked over to her door and knocked. When she didn't answer he slowly turned the knob and stuck his head in.

He stifle back his laughter as he saw Haley with a huge pair of wireless headphones over her ears as she dance like a mad woman within her room. Jake had to cover his hand over his mouth as he realized that his little sister had all the grace in the world, but absolutely no rhythm. He was then reminded why he was there when he heard the doorbell ring again. He stepped into Haley's room as he took the towel from his head and swung it onto his shoulder. He then reached out and took a hold of Haley's headphones before yanking them off. "Yo, genius."

Haley jumped in surprised as it appeared Jake popped out of nowhere. "It's not polite to snick up on people," she said angrily.

"Yeah, whatever," he began as he tossed the headphones on the bed. "Someone's at the door. Go answer it while I get dressed," he told her before turning around to exit the room.

Haley placed her hand on her hip. "What am I?" she asked. "Your maid?" Jake didn't even bother to answer her before he opened and closed his own bedroom door. Haley shook her head as she left her room and headed to the front door. "Who does he think he is?" she asked herself. "Thinking he can boss me around. . ." she continued with her rant about her older brother until she opened the door to find Trixie standing on the other side of it. "Oh my goodness," she whispered to herself.

Trixie stood before her with her head down. She was soaking wet from the rain and blood stained her jeans right below the knees. "Is Jake home?" she asked, her voice soft, but flat.

"Yeah." Haley nodded her head as she pulled Trixie in out of the rain. Haley then turned her head in the direction of the stairs. "Jake!" she yelled as she guided the older girl into the living room. "I'll go get you a towel," she told Trixie before heading towards the bathroom inside of the guest bedroom. "Jake!" she yelled again as she handed the towel to Trixie to dry off.

Meanwhile, Jake was upstairs wondering what his sister was having a fit about. "What?" he yelled as he pulled a t-shirt over his head for the night. He then smiled as he looked to his mirror, not at himself, but at his copy of the sonogram picture he had gotten at the hospital. He had it tucked in the frame of his mirror and as he looked at it, he couldn't help but wonder what they would name him.

Jake had been worried for a little while after his run in with the Banshee. He had had some type of vision when he heard the Banshee's cry reach his ears. He had seen the death of a little girl and though he didn't know her name nor could he see her face in this vision, he felt the pain of her lost. It had shook him up deeply as he wondered if this little girl would be the one he would raise as his own, but as the doctor told them Trixie was having a boy, he quickly dismissed the thought, thinking maybe the Banshee's cry wasn't meant for his ears after all. Jake didn't know if that was a good or bad thing, for all he knew for sure was that he saw the death of _someone's_ little girl.

"Just get down here!" he heard Haley answer him.

A moment later, Jake was making his way downstairs. "Alright, Haley, what's the big emerge-" he cut himself off as he saw Trixie on the couch with a towel over her shoulders. "What's going on?" he asked curiously as he regarded his sister, who was walking towards him, and then the back of Trixie's head as she had not moved from the couch.

"I don't know," Haley told him. "She really hasn't said anything to me, but she's upset."

Jake nodded before walking over to Trixie. He sat down beside her. "Baby girl?" he asked softly and slightly gasped as she turned to him and he saw the dark bruise on her cheek. "Who did this?" he asked as he touched the mark on her face.

Trixie's expression was blank as she spoke in a monotone voice. "No one," she replied automatically. "I fell." Jake's brow furrowed as he remembered the last time he knew she was lying to him. "I tried to call you earlier," she said after a moment. "But you didn't pick up."

"We were on Leprechaun territory. Calls usually don't get through," he informed her.

"My father came home today," she announced with her head down.

Jake shook his head as he looked at her in disbelief. "Please, don't tell me you told him by yourself."

"I wasn't planning to," she began. "Not without you. I didn't want do it alone, but my mother accidentally let it slip."

"Accidentally?" Jake found that hard to believe.

"He was _so_ angry, Jake." Trixie hugged herself tightly. "I knew he was going to be upset, but I never thought-" she paused. "We argued," she said simply. "He wanted me to give the baby up. He told me, I didn't know what I doing and that he wouldn't allow me to embarrass him. I told him, I knew what I doing and that I was going to raise my own child and that I didn't care how that embarrassed him." Tears slipped from her eyes.

"Trixie," Jake whispered.

"He said, he wouldn't be disrespected in his own home." Trixie then quickly snapped her head up, her eyes angry. "I told him, he was never around long enough for it to be considered his home!" Her eyes then soften as she touched her own bruise. "And that's when he. . ." she couldn't finish.

"And that's when he hit you," Jake finished for her and she nodded to confirm.

"I made him do it," she defended her father. "I didn't have to say that. He works mad hard for me and my mom."

"Don't you dare make excuses for him," Jake told her before Trixie covered her mouth and nose with both of her hands and sneezed.

"Bless you," Jake heard Haley say, not even realizing she was still in the room until then.

Jake stood up taking Trixie with him. "We should get you out of these wet clothes before you catch something." He turned to Haley. "You think you could find her something?" he asked of her.

"Yeah, I may have something that fits." Haley was then followed by Trixie upstairs.

Jake shook in his anger at the situation, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides. What kind of man would hit a pregnant woman? He wondered. What kind of man would hit a woman period? Jake tilted his head up as he let loose the fire that stirred in the depths of his diaphragm. The worst part about it though, was that he felt helpless. He was at a lost and he didn't know what to do.

Trixie's home life was stressful and with the way it effected her, he hated to imagine what that did to the baby. Jake sat back down just trying to calm himself. The best thing would be to get her out of that house. One logical thing to do would be moving her in with him and his family, but his father was against them being together too, so he didn't know if that would help. The next logical thing would be if they got a place of their own, but that just wasn't in their financial means, not unless he. . .

"No," Jake said to himself, that route -though lucrative- was an uncertain path that his small family and his duties as the American Dragon would not allow him to take. Jake then stood up to head to his room, thinking that after a night's rest that things would look clearer in the morning.

He groaned as he heard the dryer which was being used, along with the washing machine, both which were located next to his room. He was then taken by surprised as he found Trixie sitting on his bed as he entered. She was wearing one of Haley's long night shirts that had a big sleeping moon on it. "Hi," was all she said.

"Hey," he replied. "I was going to head in for the night," he told her.

Trixie looked at the turned down sheets. "Oh." She then stood. "It can wait, I guess," she told him as she went to walk pass him, but the comment made Jake reach out and stop her before she could.

"What is it?" he wanted to know.

"Just something I wanted to ask you, but I can see that you're tired. It can wait," she repeated.

"Just go on and ask your question," he told her, but she shook her head. "Please," he said, hoping he could help her with something tonight.

Trixie sighed, but found she couldn't look at him as she asked sadly. "I know this is stupid, but I just wanted to know. . . how come you stop calling? You know, for fun?"

Jake looked at her curiously. "What do you mean?"

"Don't be coy, Mr. Long, I think you know actually what I mean," she looked up as she spoke in a Southern accent and watched as an immediate blush came to Jake's cheeks.

Jake took a small step back as he cleared his throat. His hand then went to the back of his head, in a nervous like gesture. "It's just- It was always- And with Spud-" he struggled with what to say. "It felt wrong," he admitted as he lowered his hand. "It was bad enough when he was here-"

"You said that's what made it exciting," she pointed out.

"I know, but you guys weren't really together then, and now. . ." he tried to explain, "you're pregnant with his kid. And I know it was just a stupid little game, but it would feel like betrayal and I don't think I can do that."

Trixie gave him a small smile. "And here I thought it was because you didn't find me attractive anymore."

Jake returned her smile with a small chuckle, glad to see her mood had lightened as they joked. "That's not it at all." He reached out and grazed her arm with his fingertips. "You know you're still the fly honey staring in all of these Mack Daddy's kinky dreams," he told her playfully.

Trixie threw her head back and laughed. "Ow," she said suddenly, lowering her head and bringing her hand to her bruised cheek. "You really have a way with words you know that?" She looked back up and tried to smile.

Jake lowered Trixie's hand from her cheek. "I should have been there," he whispered as his own hand went up to her face. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," she reassured him. "Really, Jakey."

"Maybe, but knowing you're hurt when I could have done something." He shook his head. "I'll never let it happen again," he promised.

Trixie just smiled at him. She could never have asked for a better friend in her life. Then as his concern eyes went from her cheek to her eyes, something strange came over Trixie and before she realized it, she had leaned into him and placed a simple kiss upon his lips. Jake's eyes grew wide for a moment, but he didn't even have time to settle into the surprise of it before Trixie began to pull away.

His reaction was not one he had planned as his body acted on its own accord and quickly leaned in to finish the kiss that she had started, but then it was as if Jake remembered where he was and who he was with and so pulled away. The distance between them was small as Jake shook his head. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-"

"What?" she asked as she held onto the fabric of his t-shirt. "This?" She placed another kiss upon his lips. "Or this?" she whispered as she placed one upon his chin and then another on his neck, careful of the scar he had across it.

Every fiber of Jake's mind told him, that he should stop her before things went too far. He knew she was upset about what had gone down with her father and how she didn't deal well when it came to him. His thoughts then led to Spud and how it wasn't fair to him. It wasn't his fault that he had to leave and Jake knew that he shouldn't take advantage of that absence.

He would be lying if he said he wasn't attracted to Trixie, she had always been a beauty, but he had put the idea of them a way a long time ago, once he saw with his own eyes Spud's feelings for her. Plus, Spud had always been loyal to him, keeping his family secret, and so Jake knew he could not cross that line. "Trixie." He took her by the arms and looked at her for a moment.

"Don't you want me, Jake?" she asked of him, all kidding aside.

Jake's mind told him to push her away, but his body rebelled against him and instead pulled her close to him. "I do," he said honestly before he claimed her lips with his own and kissed her with purpose. His tongue clashed against hers hungrily, wrapping his arms around her waist as she wrapped hers around his neck.

Before either knew it, they were headed towards the direction of the bed. They parted only long enough for Trixie to help Jake take off the shirt he had been wearing and throw it to the floor. Trixie slid onto the bed and watched as Jake crawled to her before he took a hold of her and laid her onto the bed. Trixie moaned softly as Jake's hand explored the curves of her body as it worked its way down. He watched her face, delighted that he was the cause of her expression before burying his face in the nape of her neck as she took a hold of his shoulder and pulled him to her.

Jake's hand, as it explored down her body, had found the end of Trixie's night shirt. He hesitated for only a moment before his hand ducked under the shirt and his hand crept up her thigh. Jake's eyes then opened as he pulled away from Trixie's neck and gave her a strange look. Trixie smiled shyly as she realized Jake had just discovered that the night shirt was the only thing she was wearing.

Their eyes remained on each other as Jake's hand moved to the inside of her thigh and slightly pushed her legs apart. He then felt her whole body start to tremble and for a moment he looked concerned, but as Trixie took a hold of his face for another kiss, he knew there was no need to be. "Hey, Jake, I was wonder-" Jake snapped up along with Trixie as she quickly covered herself when they heard the bedroom door open and Haley stick her head in. Haley gasped loudly as she realized what she had just walked in on.

"Dammit, Haley, next time knock," he told her a little frustrated.

Haley scoffed. "Well, maybe next time you should actually close the door," she pointed out.

Jake sighed. "What do you want?" he asked her.

"Well, I was going ask if you wanted me to set up the shoe room, but it looks like you two were already discussing sleeping arrangements when I came in," she said with a mocking smile. She then screamed, closing the door behind her as Jake threw a shoe at her.

Jake took a deep breath before he turned his attention back to Trixie, who wasn't looking in his direction. Jake licked his lips, the taste of her still there as they sat in an awkward silence until he finally found the nerve to speak. "It's late," he began. "If you want, I can set up the guest room for you."

Trixie's brow creased for a moment before she looked to Jake. "Alright," was all she said as she made to get out of the bed.

Jake looked at her as if it wasn't the answer he wanted before his hand shot up and grabbed her arm. "But-" he paused, not really sure what he was doing. "If you want to stay."

"Do you want me to?" she asked.

Jake released his hold on her as he nodded his head. Trixie smiled at him as she sat back down. She then began to lean into him, but Jake turned his head away, his expression reading of pain as he did so. "I'm sorry, Trix." He then looked at her again and said, "But I can't. _We_ can't."

Trixie said nothing, her face looking as blank as it did when he saw her downstairs. She then climbed under the sheets and faced away from him. Jake cursed under his breath knowing his rejection had hurt her. She had already felt unwanted and he had done nothing more but add on to that.

He wanted to make it up to her and in his mind there was only one way to do that. So he waited until he knew she had fallen asleep before getting out of bed and putting back on his shirt. He then made his way downstairs and grabbed the house phone. Jake leaned on the back of the couch as he dialed a number. He then tucked one hand under his arm as the phone rung before someone greeted him. "Hi, this is-" he was interrupted.

"Mr. Jacob Long," a female voice said on the other end. "I've been expecting your call. Have you made your decision?" she asked.

Jake lowered his head and closed his eyes before raking his fingers through his hair. He sighed silently. "Yes, I have. . . _Count me in_."

To Be Continued. . .


	11. Lies ::V1::

**A/N:** What can I say? When the mood hits you, you just got to write. :-D

* * *

Posted: October 18, 2006 

**Chapter Eleven: Lies**

Trixie was having the most wonderful dream. Spud had never left. He wasn't a prince, fighting for a group of people, in another dimension, she had never heard of. Jake wasn't a dragon, but a normal boy with normal responsibilities. Her friends were human just like her. She was content in this made up world that had no chance of being real, but she didn't care because Spud had her in his arms, holding her tightly in the rain as he told her he loved her and their son. But this world of dreams, she knew couldn't last as she was reminded as soon as she heard her name being called by Jake, tearing her from Spud once again.

"Trix," Jake called as he shook her gently. "Trix, get up." Trixie groaned in protest, her knees moving towards her chest as she felt cold. She then removed Jake's hand before she searched blindly for the blanket. She just wanted to go back to sleep with hopes of Spud waiting for her in them. "It's useless," Jake told her as he straighten himself up and crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm washing it," he informed her.

Trixie's eyes opened, wondering what kind of teenage boy cleaned his room willingly. She then turned towards him before she scoffed and rolled her eyes. Wasn't rejecting her and making her feel like a fool last night bad enough, did he also have to disturb the only time in the day she was able to see Spud as well?

Jake only shook his head as she rose out of bed. "Your clothes are on the dresser. Along with a bath towel and a wash cloth," he told her. "I'll make sure my dad knows you're here." Trixie didn't even acknowledge that she heard him as she picked up her clothes and walked out of his bedroom door. She headed towards the bathroom were she prepared for a shower, wondering why her skin felt so sticky before she stepped under the water.

Meanwhile, Jake stripped the rest of the bedding off his bed so that he could wash them with the blanket he had pulled off earlier.

After stuffing the bedding into the washing machine he headed downstairs. Haley yawning got his attention as she fell into step behind him. "So did you sleep well?" she asked with a huge grin.

"Shut up," he said plainly without even looking at her. "Up for some breakfast?" he asked as Haley followed him into the kitchen, she nodded as they stepped inside, where they found their father fixing himself a cup of coffee. "Morning, dad," both Jake and Haley greeted him.

Jake then stood next to him, leaning on the counter. "I need to talk to you."

Johnathan smiled as his eldest child. "Morning to you too, my little cougar. What can I do you for?"

Jake fringed interest on the tiles that made up the counter. "I know I should have checked with you first, but you were out like a light yesterday," he tried to explain.

Johnathan looked at his nervous looking son. "What is it, son?"

"You see, Trixie, she uh, had some issues come up at home, so I told her she could spend the night here." Jake finally looked into his father's eyes. "Dad, she was kicked out."

Johnathan sighed before he turned back to his coffee. "Sounds like Hank came home." Jake confirmed his suspicion about Trixie's father. "So how is she doing?" he asked.

"She's more pissed at me than him." Johnathan looked to him curiously. Jake shook his head. "Don't ask."

"Hey!" Haley suddenly yelled from the table. "I'm wasting away over here. Where's my breakfast?"

Jake pushed himself off the counter. "You want something, dad?" he asked as he went to find what he needed to cook their meal.

"I'll have a little something," Johnathan told him as he took his coffee to the table and sat down.

"Waffles?" Jake asked as he reached for the waffle iron.

"No. Pancakes please," Haley replied. "Would you like some help?" she offered, but was up and out of her chair to assist him before he could response.

Before long the three were sitting around the table, just about to start their meal, when Trixie entered into the kitchen. "Morning, Haley. Papa Dog," she greeted the two before making her way over to the cupboard to fetch a glass. She then went over to the fridge where she poured herself a glass of milk.

Jake merely watched her before he spoke. "You should eat something," he suggested.

Trixie lowered the glass from her lips. "I will, later," they were the first words she had said to him that day.

"It'll be cold later," he reasoned.

"I'll nuke it," she countered.

"Trix," he began, his forehead creased. "You know what the doctor said," he warned her, causing Johnathan to slightly look up from his newspaper, his fork pausing just outside of his mouth.

"I know," she placed her hand on her stomach. "I just don't feel well," she informed him as morning sicken had taken her.

Jake pushed his chair out and stood up before making his way over to her. He took one of her arms in his hand. The other went up to her forehead as he felt her skin. She was a bit too warm for his liking. "Probably because that bastard had you out in the rain."

"Jacob, language," Johnathan, who only called him by his first name when he was serious, spoke.

Trixie closed her eyes. "Please, don't say things like that about my dad."

"How can you still take his side, Trixie?" Jake asked her. "After what he did?" he whispered, the mark on her face darker than it had been the night before.

Trixie angrily whispered back. "I told you, that was my fault. Besides, it's not like he does it all the time."

Jake scoffed. "Of course not, just whenever he's home."

"I can take care of myself, Jake," she told him.

"Then why the hell are you here?" Jake didn't even realize what he had said, until he saw that blank expression on her face. The face she had learned to adopt to cover up the hurt her father had caused her, but now it was he who was the reason for this expression.

"You're right," she agreed. She then placed her glass on the counter and then for the second time that day she removed Jake's hold on her. She then stepped around him and walked out the kitchen.

"You're a jerk." Haley looked at her brother in disbelief.

"Yeah, I know," he didn't even try to fight her on that before he made his way out the kitchen and up the stairs where Trixie was.

He found her in his room, holding herself as she looked at the busy people before his window. "Give me a few days," she began with her back to him when she heard him come into the room. "Just long enough to find somewhere to go."

Jake looked at her curiously. "What are you talking about?"

She held herself tighter. "Please, don't play dumb. You've made it very clear. . . you don't want me here."

"That's not true," he slowly made his way over to her. "I just want what is best for you. I always have," he admitted. "I know things are very stressful now, but with everything going on, we can't avoid that." Jake then leaned on the other side of the window. "I know you can take care of yourself and I didn't mean to imply otherwise. It's just. . . I'm scared, alright?" Trixie finally looked at him. "There are just so many things that have gone wrong in my life," he didn't need to elaborate for her to understand. "I just don't want you- _us_ to be one of them," he said honestly.

"Since the fifth grade, I have kept my mouth shut and I have kept your secret. . . even from, Spud," he told her. "But to be frank, I'm glad he kicked you out." Trixie looked at him in surprise. "I'm glad I no longer have to hear those lame excuses about your bruises, like the ones I used to hear whenever he came home. I'm glad I no longer have to watch as everyone else believed you, when I knew the truth."

Tears brimmed in Trixie's eyes as she lowered her head so that Jake wouldn't see them. "So you weren't asking me to leave downstairs?" she asked.

"No, of course not," Jake made clear. "I spoke without thinking." He stepped closer to her and lifted her downward face. "We're friends for life and friends for real. The three of us made that promise to each other and come hell or high water it will remain," he vowed.

Trixie nodded her head in understanding before she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a hug. "Thank you, Jake." Jake said nothing as he merely returned her hug.

OoOoO

It had been a month since Trixie had began living with Jake and his family. It had been awkward at first, but all together not a terrible experience. Their most difficult task had come a week later, when Jake insisted that they go back to Trixie's former home to pick up her things. She had been buying a new outfit everyday, because she had nothing to wear. Trixie fought him on it, she didn't want to face her father again, and thought it would be best if they just waited until he left town again. Jake understood why she didn't want to go, and he respected that, so he went about it himself.

Things did not go smoothly, between Mr. Carter and Jake as Jake packed not only several suitcases with Trixie's belongings, but also took her car keys that were hanging on the wall next to the front door. Jake told him to have everything transferred under Trixie's name and that they would take care of the car notes. Mr. Carter didn't like how the boy who had gotten his daughter pregnant barged into his home and started demanding things of him. Jake had to hold back the impulse to strike Mr. Carter as he had to endure not only Mr. Carter's angry words, but every racial slur the man could think of when it came to Jake's Chinese heritage. Jake was glad that Trixie's son would not have to grow up around such hate.

OoOoO

It was a little before dawn, when Trixie woke up one morning, within Jake's bed, to find that he wasn't there with her. She called out his name gently, but had gotten no response. She called out his name again after she had risen out of bed. She had walked down the hall and knocked on the bathroom door gently. When she still got nothing, her heartbeat slowly began to rise in panic. She ran down the hall towards the stairs, when suddenly she ran into something that felt like a brick wall. She felt herself beginning to fall, but she never touched the ground as Jake had caught her in his arms.

Trixie threw her arms around him and squeezed him tightly. Jake had asked her what was wrong, but she rapidly shook her head back and forth against his neck. A moment later, Trixie pulled back and noticed that Jake was fully dressed. She asked him if he had to go to work early, but he told her it was something else and that he would be gone for a little while. Trixie didn't like the sound of that and so asked him where he was going. Jake only smiled at first before he kissed her forehead and told her she should go back to sleep and not to worry. She hesitated, but did what was asked of her, not knowing that 'a little while' meant she wouldn't see him for the rest of the week.

Within that week, Trixie had worn a low cut shirt, which within itself wasn't a big deal, but she had been grocery shopping with Johnathan and Haley, when Johnathan went to hand her a bag of sweet potatoes, when suddenly he drew away from her as she was reaching for it. Johnathan leaned over, fixing his glasses as he did so. He smiled as he complimented her on her necklace and asked if it was a gift from her betroth. After providing him an answer, he took the bag of sweet potatoes to the cart and began to wheel it away. Trixie could only smile, thinking Mr. Long was stranger than she once thought.

OoOoO

It was Trixie's birthday and she had turned eighteen years old. She looked at Jake curiously at he sat in front of her at breakfast table with a huge grin on his face. "Why the hell are you staring at me?" she couldn't help but ask.

"Because I have a present for you," he told her.

"It's real nice too. You're going to love it," Haley smiled brightly at Trixie as well.

Trixie became a bit excited, she really wasn't expecting anything. "What is it?" she asked.

Jake shook his head. "After you finished eating," he instructed.

"Aren't I fat enough?" Trixie asked.

Jake opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted before he began. "Trust me, son, no matter how you answer that, you're going to be wrong," Johnathan advised. "You're better off not saying anything at all."

After breakfast, Jake led Trixie to the car where he blindfolded her before they got inside. "Okay, Jake, now you're just being ridicules."

"I know," he said as he turned his head towards her when they reached a red light to see Trixie playing with the blindfold. "No peeking," Jake warned her. Trixie removed her hand and pouted.

A few minutes later, Jake parked and helped Trixie out of the car. He took her hand and she followed him cautiously, afraid he was going to accidentally run her into something as they entered a building. Trixie then felt herself on a elevator and the two road up. Jake then lead her down what Trixie could only guess to be a hallway. "Okay, here it is," Jake said as they came to a stop.

"Can I take this off now?" she asked reaching for it.

"No." Jake caught her hand before she could. She sighed in irritation before she heard the sound of keys. "Come here." Jake took her hand once again and she stepped forward a few more steps. She then felt him move behind her before he reached for the blindfold and took it off. Trixie blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted to the light. "Happy Birthday," Jake whispered.

Trixie looked at her surroundings. It was a small apartment. On her left side was the living area and on the right was a kitchen and dinning area. "I tried to get all the furniture here yesterday, but it was a no go. The bedroom stuff is all set up, but the rest is coming today." Trixie turned around and looked at him, her expression odd. "What?" The smile that had been on Jake's face faded.

Trixie shook her head. "I don't understand," she told him.

Jake's smile returned to his face. "This is our place," he informed her. "I signed the lease two days ago." He then showed her the rest of the apartment, which was made up of one bathroom and two bedrooms. Trixie stopped in the doorway of the baby's room. The crib was in the corner, next to the window and the changing table was located on the other side of the room. There was also a dresser on the other side of the window. The walls were painted blue with pictures of dragons and other magical creatures. "No, unicorns," Jake pointed out, knowing Trixie never liked them as he came up behind her. "I know it's a bit much, but I wanted the baby, right off the bat, to know what is in this world."

"Jake-" Trixie whispered, concern etching onto her features.

"There's more," he told her as he wrapped his arm around her, placing his hand on her stomach. With the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small ring box. Trixie only turned her head and looked at him. Jake snapped the box open with one hand. "It's not much, but I think it'll do the job," he said before turning Trixie around and slipping the ring onto her finger.

Trixie stared at the expensive looking ring on her finger. "How can we afford this?" she asked as she once again looked at the beautiful apartment.

Jake walked back down the hall. "I got the coolest entertainment system," he began, avoiding her question. "I was thinking we could put it along this wall here."

"Jake," Trixie called again and was once again ignored.

"And we should probably start to baby safe the place. Of course, I don't know how to do that so I bought a few books. They're in the car," he explained. "I also bought-"

"Jake!" Trixie yelled and finally got his attention as he turned to look at her. "We can't afford this. Not on what we make," she pointed out.

"Don't worry," Jake told her. "I already paid the landlord several months in advance on the rent and the furniture is taken care of."

Trixie frowned as he spoke. "Jakey, where did you get that kind of money?" she asked.

Jake frowned as well. "Why can't you just be happy?" he asked of her. "I mean, this is what you wanted, right? Normalcy? I'm giving you normalcy."

"Jake," Trixie shook her head. "Nothing about this is normal. We are eighteen and pregnant. There is no way we should have these kind of finances," she told him. "So tell me, how did you get the money?" she demanded to know.

Jake shifted his weight to one side as he placed his hand on his hip. His other hand went nervously to his mouth before he lowered his head and comb his fingers though his hair. He took a deep breath. "I am not doing anything wrong," he told her in a way that sounded like he was trying to convince himself instead of her.

"Then why won't you answer my question?" she asked.

"Trixie, please," Jake begged of her, his expression reading of pain. "Don't put me in a position, where all I can tell you. . . _are lies_."

To Be Continued. . .

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**A/N: **You know what? I _LOVE_ to hear theories. Does anyone have any on what Jake may be doing? **One clue:** He's not an assassin, which is usually my mystery job of choice, but not this time. 


	12. Alone

Posted: November 12, 2006

**Chapter Twelve**: **Alone**

Jake hadn't told her, but in the few months that they had been living together, in their own place, he had gotten used to the way she clung on to him when she slept. He found it not only comforting, but endearing. He also found that he had gotten so used to it that after she let go, he usually woke up a minute later or so. It wasn't really a big deal for he was always able to find asleep again.

Tonight, or this early morning he supposed, had been no exception, but as he tried to go back to sleep it donned on him that Trixie was on the phone. He hadn't caught any of her conversation until the tone of her voice changed and she sounded frighten. "Please," she begged. "I don't want you to call here anymore. My husband is-" she was interrupted and made to listen to the person on the other end. "No," she whispered. "It's not like that," she responded heatedly. "You know what? I don't care." Jake then heard as she hung up the phone and sighed.

A moment later, she rested back on her side with her back to Jake. Jake then rolled to his side and wrapped his arm around her as his hand found her now large round stomach. He frowned as she visibly jumped with the gesture. "Who was on the phone?" he asked.

"I didn't realize you were awake," she replied.

"Yeah." He lifted his head a bit and looked at the clock. "I should be getting up," he stated, but did nothing more then lay back down for a few more minutes. "So, who was on the phone?" he asked again.

"It was no one important. Just something I should have taken care of awhile back. Nothing to be worried about," she reassured him.

Jake let out a small chuckle. "That's funny coming from you."

Trixie then rested her hand on top of Jake's and admired their wedding bands. Their ceremony had been simply, non-traditional, as they had gone to a Justice of the Peace. They were married in front Johnathan, Haley, Mrs. Carter, and Trixie's grandmother. Jake seemed upset afterwards, but told everyone he was fine, but anyone who knew him well, already knew what was wrong. His grandfather's absence had cut him deeply.

Things had been shaky at first between Trixie and Jake as they began their married life; Trixie was always asking questions about the money coming in. Questions Jake wouldn't or couldn't answer, and so eventually she learned just not to ask. But that didn't stop her from worrying about him. Once a month for about a week, he would leave to some destination unknown to her.

He always came back, tired and weary, but strangely always had a smile on his face. So Trixie never told him how his absence bothered her and how it felt like a small echo of her father. Besides, Jake was a good provider, and he insisted what he was doing wasn't wrong, which always rose an eyebrow on Trixie, but she said nothing. Plus he seemed happy, so Trixie let that be enough.

"It's getting about that time," she told him as she looked at the clock. It would be dawn soon.

Jake sighed. "So it is." He looked at the clock as well, leaving was always the hardest for him.

"I wish you wouldn't go. Just this one time," she asked of him, making him feel a bit guilty. "My due date is so close and-"

"I'll be here," Jake promised her. He then removed his hand from her stomach and took a hold of her chin. He gently guided her head towards him so that she could see his eyes. "You won't have to go through anything by yourself, okay?" Trixie nodded in understanding as she averted eyes. Jake gave her a lobe-sided smile before he finally rose out of bed and prepared for his trip.

An hour later, Trixie felt his weight on the bed, she opened her eyes and looked at him as he sat on the edge of it. "I'm off," he informed her. "I made you breakfast, it's in the microwave, okay?" He then got to his feet. "I'll call in a few days," was the last thing he said to her before he was out the door.

After some time, Trixie finally rose for the day, struggling slightly as she did so. She waddled about the house as she prepared for the day. She had left her job about two weeks ago, comfortable in the fact, that when she was ready she would be allowed to returned, just as long as she brought plenty of baby pictures for her boss and co-workers to fuss over. Trixie smiled at the thought, it really was a great work environment.

Her smile soon faded as she sighed when she entered the kitchen looking at the dirty dishes Jake had left for her. She knew him cooking breakfast for her before he left was too good to be true. "Ugh," Trixie made a face as she looked into one of the saucepans on the shove. "I just don't understand, Allegro," Trixie spoke to her baby. She and Jake hadn't discussed baby names yet, but she had been running through a few to see which ones she liked. "How he can look at a grocery list that clearly says 'Grits' and buy 'Cream of Wheat'? And I don't care what he says, they _are not_ the same."

Trixie then went about putting the dirty dishes in the dish washer, before scrapping the cream of wheat off her plate and eating the rest of her food. After her meal, she headed to the living room to watch some tv. About an hour into the movie she was watching the phone ringed. Trixie stared at it for a moment, hesitant to answer. She couldn't handle another phone call like this morning. She knew she should have told Jake about the harassing phone calls she had been receiving from her father lately, but she wanted to take care of it herself. She then realized that just looking at the phone wouldn't help her situation.

So finally, Trixie reached out and answered the phone, "Hello?" A wave of relief washed over her as she heard the voice on the other end. "Belinda, hey girl," she greeted her best girlfriend. "Yeah, Jake and I are well, thanks. . . Uhhh, okay, lunch sounds good. Where?" Trixie asked and soon received an answer. "Okay, I'll meet you there, say around one? I have to run a few errands first." She then heard Belinda's reply and her head fell as she did. "Yes, Cream of Wheat." She then pulled the phone away and scoffed at it as Belinda's laughter came screaming through. As it died down she put the phone back to her ear. "Are you done now?" she asked her. "Good, I'll see you at one."

After her phone call, Trixie went back to watching her movie. When it was over, she slipped on some shoes, grabbed her purse and headed out of the apartment complex to her car. Her first stop included the grocery store, were she happily picked up several things of grits.

Her next stop, before going to meet Belinda, included Radio Shack, where she wanted to pick up two new phones to replace the one in the living room and the one in the bedroom. She wanted them to have caller ID so she could screen her father's call, so she could speak to him when she was ready and on her terms.

She was comparing two different models when she felt someone's presence behind her. She didn't think much of it, thinking it was just another customer. That is, until the person behind her spoke. "Has anyone ever told you, that it's rude to not keep a promise, Ms. Carter?"

Trixie slowly turned her head at the familiar voice. "Alex," she breathed before completely turning towards him. She then saw the surprise look on his face as he took her in. "It's um, Long now," she explained as she put one of the boxes back on the shelf.

"Long?" She nodded at the simple question, noting the hurt in his voice. "I guess congratulations are in order then." His smile was forced. "Congrats," he offered.

"Thank you." Trixie softly smiled at him at first. "Look, I'm sorry about not calling. I guess it just slipped my mind. I've been kind of busy lately."

"It's okay," Alex reassured her. "I can see other things were on your mind, but it would still be nice to catch up sometimes."

Trixie thought about it for a moment. "Yeah," she finally shook her head. "I'd like that. We should set a day aside."

"Why not today? like right now?" he suggested. "My next class isn't until three," he informed her.

"Oh, so you're going to school? Where?" she asked.

"Kingsborough," he answered.

"That's where I plan on going," she replied. "You know, once my baby is born and things have settled down a bit."

"It's a good school," Alex told her and she agreed. "I would be glad to give you a tour of the campus whenever you are up to it," he offered.

"Yeah, a dry run of the place before I start there would be great." She then looked at her watch. "Alex, I don't mean to be rude, but I kind of have plans for today. I know I still have your number somewhere, unless it has changed." Alex shook his head, telling her that it hadn't. "So I'll call you a little later and we'll meet somewhere and catch up."

"Alright," Alex agreed. "I'll be waiting for your call," he told her. They then said their goodbyes before Trixie went to go meet Belinda for lunch.

OoOoO

It had been five days since Jake had left. The night before he had called to check in with Trixie. The conversation had started off well, but quickly went downhill when Trixie heard a female voice in the background and asked who it was. Jake then did what he always did when he didn't want to answer a question; he went about the subject he was on as if it had never been asked in the first place. Seeing that she was never going to get a straight answer out of him, she hung the phone up in his face. The phone ranged a few minutes later. Trixie checked the caller ID on the new phone and saw that it was Jake calling back. She let it ring.

Then, after an hour of trying to convince herself that she wasn't angry or worst. . . _jealous_, she figured she needed to get out of the house for a while. She ended up finding Alex's number and making plans to meet him for a early dinner. They met across town and discussed many things. Trixie, learned that Alex was majoring in engineering and he learned that Trixie had wanted to be a doctor since middle school. He also learned that today she was calling her baby, Jerry.

And because Alex found it strange that Trixie didn't bring him up herself, Alex asked about Jake and how he was doing. She told him, from what she gathered the night before, that he was doing fine. Sensing that maybe she was angry with her husband and wasn't up to talking about him, Alex offered a change of subject, which Trixie seemed very thankful for.

When their meal came to an end, they both left the restaurant. Alex was accompanying Trixie to her car before he was going to head to his own, which he had parked on the other side. He was talking about nothing in particular, as they made a leisurely walk through the parking lot, when suddenly Trixie doubled over in pain. Alex reached out for her asking if she was okay. In the middle of telling him that she was fine, her water broke and Alex could clearly see the panic rush onto Trixie's features.

She tried to stay calm as she sat down and leaned on the car they had been passing by. She reached into her purse and quickly called her doctor. She then gave her keys to Alex, stating that an ambulance would take too long. In the car, on the way to the hospital, Trixie griped the door handle tightly with one hand while with the other she tried to contact Jake. He wasn't answering his cell, making Trixie immediately regret the way she had ignored his calls the night before.

So it was Alex by her side, holding her hand and comforting her as she gave birth to a seven pound nine ounce baby boy. Trixie cried as she held her baby for the first time. She touched his red little face gently as she noted that he had eyes like his father and was tempted to name him Arthur, wondering why she had never considered it before.

Before Alex had to leave, his brother coming to pick him up, he informed Trixie that the hospital had gotten in contact with her father-in-law and that he was already in the building. Trixie thanked him for all that he had done before her eyes closed and she succumbed to sleep, exhausted from the day.

It was near an hour later when Johnathan was able to get in contact with his son and almost another hour before he arrived at the hospital. Jake headed straight for the maternity ward where he found his father looking into the nursery of new born babies. He licked his lips nervously as he stepped up beside his father. "Have you seen Trixie?" he asked in a whispered.

"No." Johnathan did not turn to look at him. "She's resting. Maybe in the morning." He then added, "She's down the hall in room 519."

Jake shook his head as he lowed it against the glass window in front of him. "She's going to be so angry with me. I promised her I would be here and-"

"Jake?" Johnathan interrupted him in a somber tone, causing Jake to look at him curiously. Johnathan than finally looked at his son. "You know I love you, right? And that I would do anything to protect you and Haley."

The way he was speaking, slightly frightened Jake. "Yeah, I know."

Johnathan pursed his lips together for just a beat before speaking again. He wanted to place his words carefully. "I'll admit that at first I didn't think marriage was wise for you, but you and Trixie have known each other all your lives, and so I began to think that you two could work out." Jake smiled at his father's words, but it did not last. "But I see now that my instincts were right the first time. . . I'm sorry, Jake, but I don't think the boy is yours," Johnathan finally confessed.

Jake then finally looked into the nursery. Because he hadn't been named yet the name card only read, 'Long'. He was a beautiful baby with dark brown curls that stuck out of his blue cap and with his light brown skin, it was very clear, with just one glimpse at him, that he looked nothing like the man who had been claiming to be his father. Jake couldn't help but smile sadly. . . he was definitely Spud's child. "Jake," Johnathan called, placing his hand on the other's shoulder. "It's going to be alright."

"Dad, I appreciate your concern, but you're wrong. That is my son," Jake made clear as he turned towards his father. "Mine."

"I know how much you want to believe that," Johnathan began. "You trusted her, but don't be blind," he advised. "So please, get a paternity test before you put your name on anything," he stated, referring to the birth certificate.

Jake pushed his father's hand off of his shoulder. "I don't need one," he told him. "Over the last eight months, I have done nothing but think of the welfare of that little boy in there, so even if he wasn't mine - which isn't me admitting that he isn't," he said quickly. "I would love him all the same."

Johnathan brow furrowed. "Don't attach yourself, Jake, it's only going to hurt more," he warned, his voice weary. "I _know_ he isn't yours."

"Think what you like. I don't care."

"You will, because what will you do when his true father returns?" he asked.

Jake said nothing at first, not sure what he could say without confirming the fact that he already knew the baby wasn't his. "Dad," he began slowly. "We're going to pretend this conversation never happened and I hope you never bring it up again, especially in front of my wife, okay?" he asked of him. "Now, I'm going to go find a nurse and see if I can go hold my boy. And it would mean a lot to me if you came and held your grandson as well."

"I can't," Johnathan could no longer look at the younger man beside him, "because he's not my grandson and I will never accept him as such." Johnathan then began to walk away without another word, leaving his son with a mixture of emotions.

"Dad!" Jake yelled after him. Johnathan froze where he stood, his back to Jake. "If you can't accept him, it means. . . it means you aren't accepting me. Can you live with that?" he asked him on the edge of heartbreak as he feared the answer.

"No! Of course I can't!" Johnathan spun around, marching back up to him. "You do not know what I had to sacrifice to be with Susan? Trust me, Lao Shi was a light weight when it came to his disapproval of me."

Jake felt shame as his father blew up at him. Jake wasn't stupid, he noticed the lack of his father's family in his life as he was growing up. The only member he had ever met from his father's side was his Aunt Patchouli, and even then when Jake was fifteen he discovered the two weren't even blood related.

"Then would you have me go through the same thing?" was the only question Jake could ask.

"I don't want to," Johnathan told him truthfully. "But I can't just stand back and watch you get hurt." Tears began to brim in his eyes. "When I lost your mother," Jake's eyes went wide, it was the first time he had ever acknowledge that she was gone, "it broke me. . . just like the lost of our first child." He looked into his son's eyes. "So I'm sorry, Jake, but I'm not strong enough to go through something like that again." He looked back into the nursery at the child Jake was calling his own. He then stood silent for a long time. "Don't become attached," he warned again, before Jake finally allowed him to walk away.

Jake then peered into the nursery again and as he saw the sleeping boy, he decided to forgo holding him for the night, he could wait until morning. Jake then turned down the hall and went in search of room 519. When he arrived, Trixie was still sound asleep. She looked so peaceful as he stood beside her merely watching. Jake held himself, lost within his thoughts as he thought about the argument he had with his father. He then realized that he and Trixie were truly. . . _alone_.

To Be Continued. . .

* * *

**A/N:** Moral of chapter: Grits DO NOT equal Cream of Wheat. 


	13. Frighten

Posted: November 24, 2006

**Chapter Thirteen: Frighten**

"He won't take it," Jake heard Trixie speak as he sat silently on the other side of the hospital room watching his feet with little interest.

"He can sense that you're anxious. If you just relax-" the nurse was cut off.

"I am relaxed!" Trixie snapped at her. She had been attempting to breastfeed the newest member of their small family, but it wasn't going well. Trixie was angry, but for the first time that Jake could remember, she seemed shy about letting him know it. She had said not one single word to him all morning. Jake then heard Trixie sigh before she spoke again, her voice sounding defeated. "Could you just take him away, please," she asked of the nurse, who nodded as she reached out for the fussing child in Trixie's arms.

After the nurse left, Jake raised his head to catch Trixie slipping her hospital gown back onto her shoulder. He stood from his seat and went to stand beside her. "Trix," he spoke softly. Trixie simply shook her head; she didn't want to hear it. "I'm sorry," he offered.

She scoffed and quickly turned her head to him. "You're not forgiven," she stated angrily. "You purposely ignored my calls!"

"I was angry," he replied heatedly. "You hung up in my face."

"That's because you're always lying to me," she argued.

"No," Jake shook his head. "I have never lied to you," he made clear.

"Then tell me, where you were last night and what the hell you were doing," she demanded of him. Jake lowered his eyes and pursed his lips together. "Yeah," she whispered. "You've never lied to me."

"Trixie. . ." he wanted to explain, but he didn't know how.

"I was scared," she admitted, no longer looking at him. "I needed you."

Jake sat down on the bed. "I know. I wasn't thinking. It just never occurred to me that. . . I'm sorry," he offered again and this time Trixie nodded slowly, accepting his apology.

"We should," Trixie began, but then stop to clear her throat. "We should probably name the baby," she said, once again looking at Jake.

"Yeah," he agreed. "What do you think it should be?" he asked.

Trixie sat in silence for a moment as she regarded Jake and then said softly. "I want to name him after his father."

After her words, Trixie watched as Jake's eyes left her for a moment, his expression one she didn't easily recognize. He then smiled at her. "Arthur is a fine name," he agreed.

"I wasn't talking about Spud," she informed him. "I meant you."

Jake's eyes went wide. "Oh – uh, Trix," he shook his head from side to side. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?" she asked, her brow furrowed.

Jake thought over his word before he began, "Because if it were me in Spud's shoes and I came back to find my only son named after another man, if would feel like you didn't believe in me. As if you didn't think I was coming back." He shook his head. "I don't want Spud to feel like that."

Trixie smiled at him. "Jake, you're just not some other man. You're his best friend and chances are, if he were still here, Jacob would have been the first name on Spud's list anyway."

"Please," Jake didn't want to argue with her, "just pick another name."

"Fine," she agreed, feeling a little bitter towards Jake, as if her son wasn't worthy another to share his name. "Yesterday, I was calling him Jerry, short for Jeremiah," she explained.

"Jeremiah Long," Jake said it to himself to see how it sounded. "Jeremiah _Lorenzo_ Long."

"Lorenzo?" Trixie questioned.

The man beside her shrugged. "I've just always liked the name."

"I like it too," she agreed.

After everything was settled at the hospital Jake and Trixie were able to take little Jerry home. The second day back, Jake had been changing Jerry for the first time when he spotted something very peculiar. "Trix," he had called her from the kitchen to Jerry's bedroom where he was changing him.

"What? I'm busy," she had told him as she had been preparing dinner for them.

"Just come here," her replied. Soon Trixie walked into the room and stood beside Jake in front of the changing table. She looked asking of him. "What does this look like to you?" he asked as he pointed something out on Jerry's bottom.

Trixie rolled her eyes, not believing he had asked such a question. "It's called a birthmark, Jake."

Jake looked irritated with her. "I know what it is," he made clear, "but what does it look like?"

Trixie, who was wearing her hair down, swept a piece of it behind her ear as she studied the mark. "Idaho," she finally answered. "What about it?" she asked, but when she didn't receive an immediate response she turned to Jake, who had don a hard looking expression with a touch of confusion. "Jake?" Trixie lightly touched his arm.

He then closed his eyes and shook his head as if trying to push something out of his mind. Then without looking at her he started to finish changing Jerry's diaper. "Yeah, that's what I thought to," he informed her.

"Okay," she drawled, not really sure what had been his purpose for the question in the first place. "I'm going to go finish dinner. Do you want tea or kool-aid?" she asked.

"Kool-aid," he answered her as he buttoned up Jerry's onesie.

"Flavor?" she asked when she paused at the door.

"Red," he replied without hesitation. He then picked Jerry into his arms and look at Trixie as if expecting her to argue that 'red' wasn't a flavor.

She only smiled at him. "Okay."

Jake looked at her as if he was bit disappointed. "So we'll argue for two hours about Grits and Cream of Wheat, but the flavor red is okay?"

"Yes," she answered with a nod. "Because whether you say red or cherry, it's the same thing."

"Exactly, just like hot cereal," Jake pointed out.

"No," she simply said and disappeared down the hall.

Jake then looked at the child in his arms as he followed Trixie to the other end of their home. "They're the same," he whispered as he received a toothless smile from Jerry.

OoOoO

It had been nearing two weeks since Jerry was born and things at home were starting to become far from peaceful as the couple adjusted to the small child. Jake discovered that Trixie was easily agitated when she couldn't get Jerry to do what she wanted like breastfeed or sleep. She cringed whenever he cried, passing him off to Jake as soon as Jerry began his tantrums.

There were even days here and there where Jake couldn't even recall if she had held her son at all. Jake didn't want to say anything to her about it, but he was tired of being the only one waking up in the middle of a night to sooth Jerry back to sleep. Tired of seeing to Jerry by himself all day, while Trixie refused to leave their bed. But there was only so much he felt he could do on his own and soon his frustration began to grow until it reached the point where he told Trixie exactly what was on his mind.

Their argument had not been quiet nor playful as their debate about hot cereal had been. Jake knew their raising voices could be heard through the walls of their apartment complex, but at this point he didn't care. He felt unappreciated and taken advantage of by her. She didn't know what he was risking to make sure that she and Jerry where taken of. If the Dragon Council found out what he was up to. . .

"Do not tell me how to take care of my son!" Trixie yelled at Jake as she stood in front of the television in the living room.

"Well, maybe I wouldn't have to if you got off your ass sometimes and saw to him!" he yelled back from behind the sofa as he gripped it firmly, not realizing in his anger his human form was slipping and that his claws were shredding into the sofa material.

"All he does is cry. What do you want me to do?" she asked, her voice just as angry.

"He's a baby, of course he's going to cry, Trixie. Comfort him!"

"It doesn't help. He doesn't like me," she told him.

Jake scoffed. "Of course not," he began, his voice calmer, but cynical. "He probably doesn't know who the hell you are." Trixie's mouth fell open as she silently gasped at Jake's words. Then, as if on cue, the sound of Jerry crying reached their ears. Jake looked at Trixie expectantly, but she merely hugged herself and lowered her head downward. Jake looked at her disgustingly as he shook his head before he walked out the living room and down to Jerry's room.

"Shh." Jake picked up the crying baby and rocked him gently in his arms. He then reached back into the crib and picked up the blue pacifier that was there. He blew off a piece of the lint that had settled on it before trying to place it in Jerry's mouth, who at first resisted it. "Come on, don't you want your nip-nip?" he asked Jerry, before he eventually took it.

Jake walked in circles around the room until he noticed Jerry's eyelids become heavy with sleep once again. He then placed him back in his crib on his back. Jerry yawned, letting the pacifier fall from his mouth. Jake then covered his body with a blanket before resting on the railing of the crib and simply watching as Jerry sleep. His eyes then caught the pillow, which was located on the other end of the crib. He reached for it and then, in the course of an eye blink, all he could hear was screaming. "Jake, stop please!" It was Trixie. She had attached herself to his arm and was pulling him with everything she had. Tears ran down her face as she cried. "Stop it! Stop it!" she begged. "Please!"

Jake was horribly confused as he noticed he was leaning over Jerry's crib. He then noticed he was still holding the pillow, but gripping it firmly with both hands. He then heard a muffled crying noise. It took Jake a split moment to register that he was holding the pillow against Jerry's face and that he was suffocating him. But then, to his horror, he couldn't stop himself and instead pushed even harder down on it. "You're killing him!" Trixie told him as she desperately tried to pull Jake away. She then did the only thing she could think of and socked her husband clear across the face with her fist.

"Shit! Ow!" Jake yelled from the floor as he covered his eye with his hand. Then, the reason he was sitting on the floor quickly rushed to him as he realized there was no sound coming from the crib. "Oh, my God," he whispered as he looked up at Trixie, who was reaching into the crib and picking up Jerry, who looked so still in her arms. "Is he alright?" Jake asked.

Trixie said nothing at first as she looked over Jerry as she placed him on the changing table, placing her back towards Jake. "He's not breathing," she whispered to herself. She wanted to panic, but she knew if she did that it wouldn't be any help to her son.

The young mother slightly tilted the boy's head back, knowing that an infant's airway was extremely narrow and that overextending the neck would actually close off his air passage. She then covered Jerry's mouth and nose with her own mouth, creating a seal, before she gave a quick and gentle puff from her cheeks. She then slightly pulled back, letting Jerry exhale on his own as she watched his chest and listened for breathing. He wasn't.

Trixie told herself to calm down, but she couldn't help the tears that rained down on Jerry's face as she repeated her actions. "Please, breathe for mommy," she pleaded with him as she checked his breathing again. Then after was felt like eternity, Jerry began to cry. Trixie thanked God as she scooped him into her arms and held him just a little tighter than she should have.

"Trixie. . ." she was startled to see that Jake had been standing by her side, she hadn't noticed him there.

Trixie took a step back from Jake, her eyes turning red from her crying. "What were you doing?" she asked of him. "What the fuck were you doing!" she yelled.

Jake could now feel his own tears slid down his face. "I don't know," he said truthfully as he couldn't even remember actually picking up the pillow in the first place. He took a step towards his family. "Trixie, I-"

"Don't touch him," she ordered as Jake had tried to reach out for him.

"It was an accident," he tried to explain. "I would never-"

"You tried to kill him." She looked at Jerry in her arms, his lips slightly blue.

"No!" he yelled. "That's not what I was- I didn't mean it."

Trixie looked back up at Jake. "You didn't see your face." She then nodded her head. "You meant it. It was in your eyes. They-they weren't yours."

"Baby girl," he slowly etched forward before reaching out and taking a hold of her face. "Look into my eyes now," he instructed. "I don't know what happened, but I swear it was an accident and that it won't happen again, okay?" Trixie only looked at him. "Say, okay, Trixie. . . please."

"You just stood there," she said.

"What?" Jake was confused.

"You stood there and you watched," she began. "Did you even think to call 9-1-1? Did you want to watch him die!" she searched his eyes for an answer.

"Of course not," he told her. "I just. . . couldn't move. I got up and I stood next to you and all I could do was watch. My mind told me that I should call for help," he closed his eyes as his hand fell back to his side, "but I just couldn't move."

"What happened?" she asked softly.

"I don't know. I was just putting him to bed and then next thing I knew you were yelling at me and I was- I was," he shook his head, not wanting to put words to what he had done.

"You're tired, Jake," she continued. "You should get some sleep." Jake didn't argue with her. He just simply nodded his head and walked out of the room to prepare for a shower before he would head to bed.

After his shower and in his nightclothes for the evening, Jake made his way to the kitchen to take a glass of water into the bedroom with him. Trixie was in the living room with Jerry. She had been singing the tune to ABC alongside one of his toys, but fell silent when Jake entered the room.

As Jake was heading back out of the kitchen there came a knock at the front door and just as Jake was beginning to wonder who it could be, his question was answered. "Police, open up."

Suddenly, Jake felt his chest tighten before he turned to look at Trixie. "Did you call-"

"No," she said quickly to his unfinished question.

Jake then placed his glass down on an end table and made his way to the door. "Good evening, Officers," he greeting the two people outside his door. "What can I do you for?"

"Yes, we received a call about a domestic disturbance from this residence," one of the officers informed him.

"Uh-" Jake began nervously. He then cleared his throat and began again. "I'm sorry, but you're mistaken. It must have been a prank call."

The other officer, noticing the ring on Jake's finger than asked, "Is your wife home, sir?"

"Yes," he replied.

"Can we speak to her?" she asked.

"Yeah." Jake opened the door wider to reveal Trixie still sitting on the sofa in the living room. "Trix, can you come here, please?" he called her over.

"Actually, I would prefer to speak to her inside," she female officer asked of him.

"Of course."

Jake allowed her in and was about to follow her inside when the other officer spoke, telling him he wanted to speak to him outside. Jake frowned as the door to his home was closed and he was left on the other side of it. The officer than asked him a series of questions, which he was only half paying attention to. All he could wonder was if by the end of this conversation would he be arrested.

When the door opened again and the officer stepped out, she told her partner that everything was fine and the two went on their way. Jake then stepped back into his home. "I didn't tell her anything," Trixie made a point of saying.

"I know," Jake's voice was barely audible as he responded.

Trixie, now satisfied that Jerry was all right, went to put him back in his crib. After finishing his water, Jake went to check on her. He wanted to reassure her that what had happened would never happen again. He reached out for her and felt her entire body tense when their skin came into contact, a small bit of him die in that moment. "I'm sorry," was all he found he could say. Trixie nodded, but didn't turn to look at him.

Jake then quietly made his away across the hall and crumbled onto his bed. He closed his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair. He let out a heavy breath as he spoke to himself, "Aw, man."

Jake couldn't find sleep that night and not for the reasons one would think. His concerns were not on the child he had almost killed, but they were completely on Trixie and her reaction to it. He didn't like that look of fear on her face. He didn't like her questioning eyes that asked, 'Who are you?' But then again, the fact that Jake wasn't more concern about what he had done to Jerry left him. . . _frighten_.

To Be Continued. . .

* * *

**A/N:** -Insert Evil Laughter Here-


	14. Refusal

Posted: November 28, 2006

**Chapter Fourteen: Refusal**

Jake laid awake in his bed as he watched his wife sleep on the other side of it. It had been a few weeks since, what was now know as the incident occurred and things between the two had been dicey to say the least. Jake never knew it was possible to see someone everyday and miss them so much. She didn't laugh anymore; he couldn't even remember the last time she had even smiled at him. He missed the way she used to hold on to him when she was sleeping as if he was the only thing in her life that mattered.

He wish he could fix things, but he had no clue where to begin. He then got out of bed and was on his way to the bathroom when he heard Jerry. He entered the room and smiled down at the small boy who was smiling at him as he went to pick him up. "What are you doing?" Jake cringed as he heard the anxious sounding voice behind him. He didn't get a lot of alone time with Jerry anymore as Trixie had picked up watching him like a hawk whenever he got too close to him.

Earlier on, all Jake wanted was for Trixie to help out more when it came to Jerry, but now she had taken everything upon herself. Jake had gotten his wish, but this wasn't how he wanted it. "Nothing," he answered. "I was just going to check his diaper and get him something to eat."

Trixie walked up to him and held her arms out. "I can do that," she told him. "Give him to me."

He shook his head. "You're going to have to eventually trust me again, Trix," he said to her. "Can we please start with this?"

Trixie looked on the verge of saying no, but then to Jake's relief, she slowly let down her arms. "Okay," she said softly. "Okay." She then walked out the room leaving Jake alone with Jerry for the first time in almost a month.

That small gesture had eased some of the tension that had been between them and by mid-day, Jake was relieved to see Trixie smiling at him, even if it was only because Jerry had spit-up on him. "You know what?" Jake began as he handed him over to her before he walked to the kitchen to try to clean his spoiled shirt. "I think we need a night to ourselves. Maybe go to the movies or something before I leave next week," he suggested feeling just a little silly at asking his wife out on a date, but he felt it was necessary; the two them desperately needed to reconnect. "I'm sure Haley would be glad to watch Jerry for us."

He waited for her response, but before he could find out her answer, there came a knock at the door. "I got it," she told him and went to see who their visitor could be. Jake couldn't see who was at the door from his place in the kitchen, but complete and utter dread filled him as he heard Trixie say joyfully. "Gregory, my goodness, it's been so long!"

"Trixie!" Jake heard his cousin greet his wife.

"Come in. Take a seat. What are you doing here?" she asked him.

"Believe it or not, I just heard from grandpa that you and Jake got married," he informed her. "So are you going to introduce me?" he asked referring to the child in Trixie's arms.

"Yes. Gregory, this is Jeremiah."

"Well, he's as cute as a button, just like his mom," Gregory told her with a wink. "So where is that cousin of mine?"

"I'm here." Jake stepped out of the kitchen. "Hey," he said, his voice clear that he wasn't happy to see him.

Suddenly, right before Trixie's eyes, the atmosphere of the room changed. Gregory donned a very serious look as he regarded his cousin. "I'm guessing you know why I'm here."

Jake dipped his head. "I can make a pretty good guess," he replied. "Trix, could Greggy and I have a few minutes, please?"

"It's _Gregory_," he pointed out, but went ignored by the other.

Trixie nodded, not knowing why as her husband's eyes were still on his cousin. Trixie then took Jerry into his room and made it look as if she closed the door behind her. She listened carefully as the two spoke to each other.

"You have a beautiful home," Gregory spoke.

"Stop bull shitting with me," Jake demanded. "And tell me why you're here."

"Fine," he agreed as Jake took a seat next to him on the sofa. "As you know a new Dragon Council has taken reign. They are strict and unrelenting and not fond of you, unlike the last Council."

"Your point?" Jake asked.

"You haven't claimed Trixie or your child to them yet." Jake went to speak, but Gregory cut him off before he could. "I know she's human, but as a Magical Protector, you have a high status, by our laws it's allowed."

Jake stared at his cousin for a moment. "Wait. . . you don't disapprove?" he asked a little in disbelief.

"Of course not," he told him honestly. "And even if I did, would you care? Beside, I know Trixie, and she's good for you."

"Thank you. You're the first to say that to me." Jake then watched as his cousin lowered his head. "What?"

"I didn't come by just to say hello," Gregory informed him. "What do you know of DOS?" he asked.

"DOS? You mean the Dragon Council's lap dogs. The bastards, who actually get paid, to rat out their own kind? I think they are the scum of the magical world and should go back to whatever trashcan they crawled out of and rot. I still can't believe they're classed higher than I am," he made his opinion known. "What of them?" he asked, noticing how Gregory had lowered his head during his little rant. Jake's shoulders fell. "You're DOS, aren't you?" The other nodded. Jake laughed a little nervously. "Sorry, I didn't mean any of that," he offered.

Gregory looked at him skeptically. "Yes, you did."

Jake smiled at him. "Yeah, you're right." However, his smiled did not last long as it finally hit him that he had DOS in his home. He straightened up a bit, his brow furrowed. "So DOS Huang, what can I do for you?" Jake questioned.

"Don't start acting like that," Gregory warned, seeing the serious look don his cousin's features. "I just wanted to let you know that your name has come up in DOS files. There may be an investigation planned around you. If what they suspect is true, Jake, you could lose your status as the American Dragon."

"What do they suspect?"

Gregory looked conflicted, not sure how much he should say. He was risking his livelihood by informing a potential suspect, but this was his cousin and though the two didn't always get along, he knew, if their positions were reversed, Jake would have his back. "It's a matter of your Dragon duties and if you have been abusing your ability and your status."

"Greggy- Gregory," Jake spoke softly. "Can you make those papers disappear?"

Gregory frowned not sure he had heard the other correctly. "Do you know what you are asking of me?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

The younger dragon let out a big breath as he thought over the situation. "Jake, I can't do that."

"You have to!" Jake demanded loudly. He then quickly covered his mouth with his hand and looked at the entrance to the hallway. Jake leaned in and began to whisper, "I may be allowed to marry a human, but I as sure as hell know that Trixie isn't suppose to know what I am and neither is my dad. If I am investigated and that is found out, I'm not going to get a slap on the wrist and be told to make a potion to alter their memory. They know too much." Gregory saw genuine fear in his cousin's eyes. "And like you said before, the new Council reign is unrelenting, and you know the punishment for such a crime."

"I do," Gregory replied sadly.

"Then help me," Jake begged.

"Alright, but you must tell me one thing?" he asked of him.

"What?"

"Are you guilty?" Gregory asked.

There was a short silence before Jake looked his cousin dead in his eyes and stated firmly, "No."

"Then there's no reason for me to have to do anything, Jake. You can cover up the fact that they know. If you are investigated, I'll feed you information. Everything will be fine," he assured him.

"Gregory, it won't, trust me. I _can not_ be investigated."

Gregory shook his head. "Why? What are you hiding?" He listened intensely to Jake's next response, which was once again spoken in a whisper.

"I'm kind of investigating something on my own. A recon mission of sorts, which could look very incriminating from DOS's point of view," he explained.

"What kind of recon mission?" he wanted to know.

"I can't get into it," he told him.

Gregory looked at his cousin for a long time, despite their appearance, the two knew each other well. "This has something to do with the Huntsclan, doesn't it? This has to do about Rose." He looked rather upset and disappointed in the older dragon. "Please, don't tell me you're still looking for her!"

"Shhh! Keep your voice down, I don't want Trixie to hear you," he said. "And I had stop, I did," he said truthfully. "But then someone made contact with me, who's looking for her too, we've been working together." Jake's eyes then looked off into nowhere. "She's very well off and very generous," he explained as an echo of a smile traced across his lips, but he snapped out of it as he once again looked at Gregory. "I'm not doing anything wrong," he couldn't help but say.

"Then why-" Gregory was about to ask something, when something else entirely donned on him as he considered the other's last statement. "Jesus, Jake," he began softly. "You're cheating on Trixie, aren't you?"

"What?" Jake's eyes widen at the unexpected question. "Hell, no. I would never do that to her."

Gregory nodded and said slowly, "You're right, I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking." He then looked at his watch before standing up. "Look, I have to go. I have to get back to work. I'll see what I can do about the investigation."

Jake stood as well. "I appreciate it." He then followed the other to the door.

"Oh, and just telling you again, claim your wife. If you don't, it will only look like you're ashamed of her."

The eldest of the two nodded. "I know. I'll get on that."

"Alright, I'll see you around." And with that Gregory was out the door.

Inside of Jerry's room, Trixie finally closed the door as quietly as she could while Jake's back was turned. She walked over to the changing table to check Jerry's diaper. She then heard the door open behind her. "I know you were listening," Jake told her. Trixie did not deny it. "How much did you hear?" he asked.

"Not a lot, your voices were too low," she replied.

"Of what you heard, is there anything you're concerned about?" he asked.

Trixied looked confused. It wasn't often Jake invited her to ask questions. "No," she replied, knowing this game very well. He wouldn't tell her anything.

"Trixie," he urged, realizing this was how he was going to begin to fix things.

"What's DOS?" she asked figuring she would play along.

"It stands for Draco Operation Specialist. He's a cop," he put it simply.

"He mentioned status."

"Just like with any group of anything, there are different classes. The highest being a Council member. The lowest is being born to a dragon family, but having no powers at all. . . like my mother. With my gramps being a Dragon Master, he had to claim my dad for my mom. It's usually unheard of, but my gramps can be quite charming when he needs to be."

"Where do you fall?" she asked picking Jerry back up and then going to rest in the rocking chair that was in the corner.

"Being half human, a class above my mother, but when I became the American Dragon I was boosted up to fourth from the top." Jake sat down on the floor in front of her. "But even within that class, there are different ranks. I rank somewhere in the middle because I'm part human and having a mother with no powers. And the only reason I'm in the middle is because I have faced the Dark Dragon and lived."

"What did Gregory mean by claiming me?" she asked, trying not to sound offended, she didn't like being referred to as property.

"Claim, may not be the right word," he began. "But it's pretty much a marriage status, recognizing you as my wife."

"And you haven't done it yet." It wasn't a question.

"No," he replied softly.

Trixie lowered her head and played with Jerry's hand. "So you are ashamed of me."

"That's not it. There are certain rules and laws. I can only claim you after knowing my bloodline is secure. Then there is usually a small ceremony, but since you're human, and not even suppose to know I'm a dragon, it's very informal. I just go in front of the Council and for the record state: I, American Dragon Jacob Luke Long, of the Luong bloodline, claim Trishale Carter, of human descent, under my status and therefore protected," Jake recited the vow a little sadly. Ever since he first learned her name, he had always imagined it would be Rose in Trixie's place. "You make a similar vow for your children, but since Jerry isn't mine, I would be making a false claim, and to do so is a very high crime. Lineage is very important."

"I see," Trixie stated, as she stood so that she could put Jerry down for his afternoon nap. She then sat on the floor beside her husband. "You know, I wouldn't object, Jakey," she stated a little timidly.

"Wouldn't object to what?" he asked curiously.

Trixie's dark cheeks redden as she leaned in and brushed her lips against Jake's. She then whispered softly, "Making sure your claim isn't false." As she continued to speak, Jake's eyes closed, feeling the warmth of her breath against his skin. "I still remember our first kiss. I can't get it out of my mind lately. Your lips were so soft and so commanding that I think I would have done anything they asked of me. And your hands." She sighed contently. "They were so shy, yet so strong. My body craves to be touched by you." She kissed the corner of his mouth. "Jerry's asleep and there's no little sister to interrupt us this time," she pointed out. "So why don't we go to our room, and show our bed that it has other uses?"

At the end of her question, Jake suddenly pulled away, his eyes bore into her, almost angry. "What are you playing at?" She didn't answer, being a little thrown off by his tone. "For weeks you've treated me like the enemy, and unfortunately I gave you good reason," he pointed out. "And I was glad that you were finally coming around, but this is too much for me."

"What's too much? Me wanting to kiss the man I married?" she asked. "Wanting you to make love to me?"

"Yes!" he replied. "Trixie, this marriage. . ." he couldn't find the words to what they were doing. "I don't want to betray Spud," he finally spoke. "I can't forget that you are the mother of my best friend's child. A man who loves you deeply, but when you say things like that. . ." he trailed off, his hand reaching out and taking a hold of her cheek. "I'm so tempted to just," he bit his bottom lip for a moment before bring her face close to his own so that he could whisper, "to just lay you down right here and make you scream my name so loud that we would have the police knocking at our door again."

Trixie took a hold of Jake's shirt, her eyes darting to it for a moment as she felt the Jewel of Eskaw underneath it. She then slid her hand down a little so not to disturb it. "Give in to temptation, Jake," she asked of him, pulling away slightly so that she could look into his dark eyes. "Be my husband, not just in name." As she waited for his response, Trixie could feel his heart race within his chest as he considered her words.

Jake then placed his larger hand on top of hers, stroking her skin in a loving gesture. It caused Trixie to smile softly at him, but it would not last as it was soon replaced by its opposite when he tighten his hold on her hand and removed it from his chest, giving Trixie a very clear answer.

"I'm going to call Haley and see if she's available Friday," he spoke as if he hadn't admitted, mere seconds ago, that he wanted to make love to her. "We'll go and see a movie, okay?" He didn't wait for a reply before he stood up and stepped out of the room, leaving Trixie to settle on the floor as she recognized his action for what it was. . . _a_ _refusal_.

To Be Continued. . .

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**A/N**: Jake is trying to be so good. He has such a strong will power. . . that won't last long. :-D 

You guys are _so_ going to hate me in the next few chapters. I just thought of something that was just too good not to use for this story. And I'm so glad that Gregory was introduced in the show, it made trying to explain things so much eaiser then what I had planned at first.


	15. A Surprise

**A/N: **Dammit, I can never keep to a schedule. I meant to have _HFQ_ out first, but I got to writing this this morning. . . and I'm sure you all know how it goes.

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Posted: December 20, 2006 

**Chapter Fifteen: A Surprise**

Jake sighed silently as he drove down the dark lonely streets of Brooklyn. He glanced over at Trixie for a moment before returning his eyes to the road. They had just come back from seeing a movie and were on the way to pick of Jerry, whom was being babysat by Haley. Trixie's arms were crossed over her chest as she watch tiny droplets of rain meet the window on the passenger side of the car. "Jake?" her voice was soft.

"Yeah?" he responded.

"Do you really think he's coming back?" she asked.

"Who?" he replied.

Trixie turned her head towards him. "I'm not in the mood for games, Jake," she made clear as her hand sought out the Jewel of Eskaw around her neck. "Do you think he's coming back?" she repeated her question.

"Yeah, yeah I do," he said confidently. Trixie nodded as she found it ironic that it was she in the beginning who had questioned Jake's faith in Spud, but now how it was her who found her faith fluttering. Apparently, Jake seem to come to the same conclusion. "Don't you?"

"No," she whispered, shame lining her voice as she looked away. "I mean, don't you feel it?" she began. "Deep inside? I used to feel so whole, and no matter what went on in our lives, I knew I had you and Spud. You guys are a part of me. I mean, even after Spud was gone, I felt it. I felt him, but lately. . ." she slowly shook her head from side to side. "I don't think he's coming back," she confessed.

Jake said nothing. He didn't want to admit that he shared that same feeling and for a while now. He had banished it to the back of his mind, so that he wouldn't have to think about it, but something in his heart felt hollow. It was hard to ignore.

Realizing that Jake wasn't going to say anything else, Trixie went back to looking out the window until they pulled up in front of Jake's childhood home. "I'll be right back," he announced as he turned off the engine and placed the keys in his pocket as he got out of the car.

Jake ran up the stoop stairs and knocked on the door when he reached the top. Haley opened the door with a smile let her older brother inside. "So how was he?" Jake asked as they made their way upstairs.

"A perfect angel, just like me," she informed him with a smile. "After I feed him he was out like a light."

"Good, I'm glad he wasn't any trouble." The two walked into Jake's old room were Jerry was asleep on the bed. Jake picked him up. "Thanks for seeing to him, Haley."

"No problem. Anytime," she told him as they headed back down the stairs. Once they were down stairs, Haley leaned on the railing. "He really is a handsome boy," she began as Jake reached out for the handle of the door and pulled it open. "He looks so much like Spud," she whispered.

Jake froze, before his head swiftly turned back to his little sister, startling her a little. "What did you say?" he demanded, his expression firm, but marked with confused.

"I- I said he was a handsome boy," she shuttered a little, not seeing what she had said wrong.

Jake seemed irritated. "After that!"

"That he'll be quite the stud. Why?" she asked.

Jake's facial features soften before he shook his head. "No reason. I just thought. . . I'm sorry, I must be hearing things," he admitted. "Um, I'll call you later, okay?" he told her before he finally headed out the house.

Back at the car, Jake carefully placed Jerry in his car seat. "Jake?" Trixie began softly. "You look kind of flushed. Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm- No, I don't think I am. I think I may be coming down with something," he told her.

"You want me to drive?" Jake nodded at her question before pulling out the keys and handing them to her. He then walked around the vehicle as Trixie slid over to the driver's side. Once Jake was inside with his seatbelt on Trixie started the car and the small family headed home.

OoOoO

It was a filthy and sick habit, Jake knew, but still there were times when he just couldn't stop himself. Trixie was a beautiful woman, that he could not deny. Sleeping next to her almost every night, and asking him to keep his hands to himself, was just a little too much to ask of him. Besides, he loved the contrast of their skin as his tan fingers mapped out the curves of her body, her dark skin soft to the touch. And it didn't help that she always smelt so good as she slept against him.

He knew if she ever woke up, in the middle of him practically feeling her up, _among other things_, that he would have his work cut out for him in trying to explain it, but today wouldn't be that day he told himself before his hand found her shoulder and he gently shook her. "Trix," he called.

He watched as her forehead creased and she slightly groaned. "What?" she finally responded.

"Just wanted you know that I'm getting ready to go," he informed her before doing just that. It was an odd thing they did, him always having to wake her before he got out of bed. Jake found it strange, how she freaked when she woke up alone after they had gone to bed together. He had asked her about it before, but she guarded her secrets almost as well as he did his own.

After almost an hour, Jake tossed his duffel bag over his shoulder. "Alright, I'm leaving," he announced as he picked up his watch from the nightstand.

"Alright," Trixie replied, her back to him as she continued to lay in bed.

Jake let out a small laugh. "Is that it?" he asked of her.

"Yeah," she told him.

"You're not going to ask me to stay," he asked, now feeling a little disappointed. She always asked him to stay.

"There's no point in it," she stated sadly. "You always leave anyway."

Jake nodded. "Fine." He turned around and walked towards the door. "I'll call you in a few days."

"Jake!" Trixie called out, sitting up in bed as she turned to him. The dark eyed man gave a small smile before facing her, feeling almost relieved. "You don't have to go. It's not worth it." Jake looked at her strangely with the words. "I know the money is good, but we can make ends meet without it. I don't want you getting arrested by DOS." It was then that Jake realized that Trixie had heard more of his conversation with Gregory than she had let on.

"There's more to it than just the money, Trixie," he told her.

Trixie's eyes fell. "Yeah, I know. . . there's Rose."

Jake sighed heavily as he placed his duffel bag on the floor. "Listen, you have to understand. . ." he began walking towards the bed.

"It's alright, Jake, I understand," she disguised her hurt behind a false smile. "I mean, she's the love of your life, right? How could I possibly compare," her smiled faded, "when I'm just your wife?"

"Wait, that's not fair," he argued.

"Of course it's not!" She looked up at him. "I already know when it comes to you, Rose can do no wrong, even after she had your mother killed," she pointed out.

"Well, technically, Rose wasn't the one who actually killed her," he made his own point.

"No, she just put her in a position to die easy," she scoffed, before she saw the hurt expression filter onto Jake's face. Even after almost two years, his mother was still a very sensitive subject.

"Oh, Jakey." Trixie got out of bed and made her way over to her husband. "I'm sorry," she told him sincerely as she wrapped her arms around him.

"It's alright," he told her softly as he allowed her to embrace him. He then felt her kiss his cheek. He cringed a little. "Could you not do that?" he asked of her.

Trixie slowly pulled back. "So now even a peck on the cheek isn't allowed?" She rolled her eye as she went to sit back on the bed. "This is getting really old really quickly, Jake. How long am I suppose to go on like this?" she asked, but only received a questioning look from the man before her. "How long are you going to make me beg for just the simplest affection from you? Dammit, you didn't even hug me back a second ago."

"Why are you still bringing this up? We've talked about this before. I made my reason to you very clear," he told her. He then looked at his watch. "Shit, I'm going to be late." He then picked his bag back up.

"I'm not going to do this anymore, Jake!" Trixie yelled behind him.

"Do what?" he asked looking at her angrily.

"Pretend this is a marriage when it's not," she told him.

Jake rolled his neck, it was too early, to be arguing over the same things. "You know what? I don't have time for this. We'll talk about it when I get home, alright?" he made his way towards the door.

Trixie quickly stood up. "Jake, if you leave. . . Jerry and I won't be here when you get back," she threaten.

_Okay, that's new_, Jake thought as he paused in the doorway before facing his wife. "Say what?"

"All I am asking is for you to chose Jerry and me, _you're family_, over Rose. Please, don't go after her. This marriage can't handle being second fiddle."

"I'm not choosing Rose over you or Jerry," he argued.

"Yeah, you are, every month for once a week," she made a point.

"But the money-"

"We don't need it," she said quickly. "We'll put Jerry in a daycare, I'll go back to work. I mean, that was the plan anyway, right?"

"Yeah, but if we do that, we won't have enough to send you to school."

"It's alright. I've only been wanting to be a doctor since I was thirteen. I'll get over it."

"No, you won't. You'll resent me if I don't go."

"And I'll resent more you if you do," she said truthfully.

"I don't think you will." He then turned to leave.

"Tell me, are you happy?" Trixie asked.

"What kind of question is that?" he responded.

"A very simple one," she stated, but found the next one hard to say. "Jakey. . . I'm not happy." Jake lowered his head as he heard the words. He had thought as much. He would have been blind not to see it, but he never thought she would voice it out loud. "And it's not you. For the most part, you have been wonderful. Not many men, would do what you have done. You have given me and my son a home and you've taken care of us the best you can, but in the long run, it's not enough." Jake lifted his head in time to see tears well in his wife's eyes.

"Oh, don't do that, Trix. Please, don't cry," he begged of her, he had seen her tears all too often for his liking.

He then dropped his duffel bag, ready to go comfort her when she dropped a question on him he was completely unprepared for. "Do you love me?" she asked of him.

Jake blinked as he froze with the question. It took him a moment to recover. "Trix, I- I care for you, I do. So much that sometimes it hurts, but-"

"You don't love me," she finished his statement.

"No," he admitted. "Not the way you want me to." It was in that moment that Jake realized that she had asked for the one thing he thought she never would, his heart.

Trixie pursed her lips together and looked up at the ceiling as tears began to race down her cheeks. She wiped them away as she spoke again. "You should go. You'll be late."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yeah, of course," she placed another false smile on her face. "Go after the one you love. I'll support you, I will."

Jake took a few steps towards her before taking her hand and planting a kiss on her forehead. "Thank you," he whispered.

Trixie then watched as he walked out the door. "Goodbye, Jake," she whispered to herself.

OoOoO

It was three days later as Trixie found herself in the living room of her home with Alex sitting across from her on the sofa. "You're leaving, Jake?" he asked, hardly believing it.

"Yeah," she confirmed. "I'm going to tell him when he calls tonight."

"That's a big decision. Are you sure you're prepared for it? I mean, where will you go?" he asked.

"I've been talking to Belinda. She's been having trouble with her roommate, whose moving out of the apartment they were sharing, so Jerry and I going to stay there." Trixie then placed her head in her hand, suddenly appearing very tired to Alex. "I'm really not looking forward to tonight."

"I wouldn't imagine you would be." Alex then reached for this glass that sat on the coffee table. Trixie had offered him something to drink when he had arrived. "If you don't mind, may I ask why you're leaving him?"

Trixie lowered her hand and looked at her companion. "It's the same old story. He's in love with another woman," she stated with a smile.

"Ouch," was Alex's response. "So he was cheating on you?"

Trixie lightly laughed, causing Alex to look at her oddly. "Jake, cheat? No, that boy is so damned honor bound that it's ridicules." Her laughter died down. "That's why I'm leaving him. So he doesn't have to feel guilty for loving her while he's married to me. That should make everyone happy," she figured.

"You don't look too happy," Alex pointed out.

"Well, that's my problem," she told him. The two then heard a strange sound coming from Jerry's room. "Excuse me, will you?" Trixie stood up to fetch a bottle for her son, knowing that he would be hungry after his afternoon nap.

Trixie's face lite up in a true smile as she looked upon her son, whom she was surprise to see was still sleeping. She then frowned a bit as she saw the expression on Jerry's face. He looked distressed. He then made a strange sound in his sleep. "Poor thing." Trixie took her hand and slightly rubbed his belly to comfort him. "He must be dreaming." She then debated weather she should wake him up or continue to let him sleep.

"You know, I always thought Jake to be a lucky guy." Trixie turned from the crib to find Alex in the doorway. "He dated one of the coolest girls at our high school and then had the good sense to marry her," he expressed his opinion. "And I think he's a dumb fool, for putting you in such a position." Alex walked towards her. "But then again, I think I have to thank him," he told her.

"Oh, and why is that?" she questioned.

"Because it gives me another chance at being with you." Trixie blushed. She then watched as Alex shrugged. "Assuming I was ever in the running."

Trixie couldn't help but smile at him. "You were," she confirmed.

Alex dipped his head. "That's good to know," he said taking that last step towards the woman in front of him. The back of his fingers then ran across Trixie's face. "He really is a fool. How could anyone be with you and long for anyone else?" His fingers then found the bottom of her chin and slightly lifted her face up towards him. He then leaned down and pressed his lips against her.

Trixie found her eyes closing as she enjoyed the sweet kiss. When it ended, she could only look at him in shock. She then sidestepped Alex and walked away, her fingers on her lips as she did so. "I am _so_ sorry," Alex said immediately after taking in her reaction. "You're still married- I shouldn't have done that- I'm an idiot," he rambled as he followed her out. "I don't know what I was thinking- I just figured. . ." he stopped when he saw her wave her hand to stop speaking.

"It's alright, Alex," she told him before hugging herself. "It's just, that kiss it. . ." _reminded me of Spud_, she thought. Alex watched as Trixie seem to zone out right in front of him.

"Maybe I should leave," he suggested before starting to walk down the hall, but was stop when Trixie's hand shot out and grabbed his arm.

Suddenly, Trixie's lips were back on his and before long her tongue invaded his mouth. The thought to push her away, never even occurred to Alex as he scooped her up in his arms and carried her into her bedroom. The woman, securely in his hold, couldn't help but smile against his lips, he had never been one for subtlety.

Trixie gasped as she was dropped onto the bed. Alex stood over her as if waiting for her to change her mind, but instead of a protest, Trixie rose to her knees and her hands found his chest. She stared into his green eyes as her hands found the bottom of his shirt. "We won't be needing this," she told him as he helped her take it off and tossed it beside the bed.

She smile as she took in the male form before her, her hands running across his broad shoulders as she did so. She then leaned in and littered his chest with kisses as she felt his hands snake around her body and firmly take her bottom with both hands as he pulled her closer.

Alex then nudged the top of her head with his nose until she looked back up at him and he stole another kiss. Trixie smiled contently against him. To her it had felt like eternity since someone who had kissed her _truly_ wanted her. Alex was like a fresh of breath as they striped each other of their clothing down to their underwear.

Alex then once again took Trixie in his arms and laid her down on the bed. He settled himself between her legs, their kisses growing more urgent and passionate. "I need you to take me, like I'm the only one," Trixie requested between pants.

Alex rose his head and gave her a small, shy smile. He then kissed her cheek before whispering in her ear, "You are the only one." Trixie smiled, closing her eyes as she pulled the man on top her closer. Alex buried his nose in her neck and slowly inhaled in her scent.

Then, without warning, the couple on the bed heard a throat being cleared. Alex immediately jolted up. Trixie slowly sat up and looked at her husband in the doorway. "Jake. . ." she breathed as she studied him. Blood stained the bottom of his white shirt. It looked like a smeared hand print. It was as if he had tried to wipe his hands clean, but it didn't seem to work as his hands were still tinted red.

She then watched as Jake crossed his arms over his chest and lean against the doorway as he shook his head. "Didn't expect me to come home early, did you?" he asked her, his face set in anger. "Then again, I didn't expect to come home to find you trying to fuck another man with Jerry sleeping in the next room!" he barked the last few words. "But I guess we both got quite. . . _a surprise_."

To Be Continued. . .


	16. Satisfied ::V1::

**A/N:** Be warned, this chapter is on crack. So I'm sorry about the lack of dialogue, I just didn't want to take several chapters to explain what I could stuff into one. Hopefully, I didn't leave anything out.

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Posted: December 25, 2006 

**Chapter Sixteen: Satisfied**

Trixie stared at her pocket calender in disbelief as she slowly leaned on the counter sink in the bathroom of her home. She flipped through the months slowly as she counted up the weeks for the fifth time, thinking that maybe she had been mistaken the first four times. She closed her eyes slowly as she lowered her head and took a big breath.

She then placed her calender back in her purse. She turned around towards the mirror to check her hair one last time before stepping out. She walked into the bedroom to find Jake sitting at the desk in the corner writing checks for the bills they had collected for the month. They had been piling up lately, despite the fact, that Trixie had gone back to work at the hotel she had been working at before Jerry was born.

"Jake, I'm leaving now. I'll be back late," she told him.

Without even looking up from what he was doing. "Where you going? To see Belinda?" he asked.

Trixie shifted her weight to one side and rolled her eyes. Why did he play these games? "Yeah, to see Belinda," she replied somewhat sarcastically.

"Be back before nightfall," he stated.

Trixie frowned at the instructions. "So you're giving me a curfew now?" she asked.

"Yes," he said simply as he signed his name on another check.

"And if I'm late?" she pushed.

Jake then slowly turned around, his arm resting on the back of the seat. "I said, be back _before_ nightfall," he said clear and firmly.

Trixie averted her eyes. "Of course," she caved in. Then as soon as Trixie was out the front door she pulled her cell out of her purse. "Hey, baby," she greeted the person on the other end with a smile. "I'm on my way, okay? Don't start without me," she told him as she made it outside of her building. She then hailed a taxi and jumped in.

Within minutes, Trixie was outside of a hotel on the other side of Brooklyn. She strolled up to the front desk where a woman she had come to know by first name sat. "Hey, Dawn," she greeted her happily. "Has my husband arrived yet?" she asked her.

"He sure has." Dawn opened a drawer beside her. She pulled out a card key and handed it over to Trixie. "You and your husband are so cute. I still can't believe you make little dates to meet with each other. I can't even get my husband to leave his lazy-boy on Saturdays."

Trixie shrugged as she pocketed her key. "What can I say? I'm a very lucky woman," she told Dawn before heading to the elevator.

She got off on the ninth floor and walked down the hall to the room she had reserved for every other Saturday afternoon. She then pulled out her key and unlocked the door. "You're late," said the male voice as she closed the door.

"You try hailing a taxi, this time of the-," her complaining ceased as she was pushed up against the wall behind her and she was silenced with another mouth on her own.

"I need you out of these clothes," he demanded seriously. "Now." His hands went to her jeans as he unbuttoned and then unzipped them.

"Wait," she asked of him as she put a hand on his chest, causing him to slightly pull back. Trixie looked into the eyes of her husband. "Not like this." She shook her head. "I want to see you," she told him.

He nodded. Then before Trixie's eyes Jake's features melted away and were replaced with another. "I hate pretending to be him," he spoke.

"I know, Gregory," she put her arms around his neck as she kissed his nose. "But you know we can't be seen together." Gregory pulled away from her arms, suddenly very stressed by their situation. Trixie pursed her lips together, she knew this probably wasn't a good time, but he had to know eventually and she figured sooner was better than later. "Baby," she called sweetly as she walked towards Jake's cousin. "There's something you should know."

Not noticing the change of her voice, Gregory began to undress. Making love to her always made everything better. "Yeah, Kitten?"

"Remember our first time together?" she asked him. "You know, when the condom broke?"

Trixie then watched as crease lines invaded Gregory's forehead. He then slowly looked at her. "Yeah?"

"Well, I'm not really sure, it's just that I'm late. I mean, it could mean nothing, but then again, I could be, well-"

"Pregnant," Gregory finished the statement. Suddenly, feeling very dizzy, he sat down on the bed. He rested his head in his hand for a moment. "Is it mine?" he asked.

"It it yours?" Trixie repeated, truly amazed at his audacity. "You bastard." She then quickly fastened her clothes back up and walked towards the door.

Gregory caught her just as her hand was on the handle. "Kitten, I'm sorry," he told her. "You know I love you, it's just. . . what are the chances of this being Jake's baby?"

"None," she told him. "You know very well Jake has never touched me."

Gregory shook his head. "And Alex?" he asked cautiously.

Trixie looked at him stone faced. "Let me take a stab in the dark here. You think because I'm stepping out on Jake, I would step out on you too?" she asked offended.

"I know what I saw that day, Trix," he told her.

"And I told you that Alex and I had never tried to become physical before that day," she argued as she thought back to the day that she and Gregory had begun their affair.

OoOoO

He had stepped into the room disgusted as Jake. His mannerism so on point with that of his cousin, that there was no doubt to either Trixie or Alex that he wasn't who he looked to be. Alex and 'Jake' had gotten into at that point. Trixie screamed when Jake slammed Alex against the wall by his neck before lifting him several feet above the ground. He then told Alex that he had had a _very_ bad day and that killing him would be his highlight.

He told him it wouldn't take much to convince police that he came home to find his wife about to be raped by some intruder and feared for her safety and that of their child, so he only did what thought he had to do. The threat sent a chill down Trixie's spin as she begged Jake to let him go. Jake's face soften for only a moment as he regarded her before he let Alex drop to the floor. He then told him to get dress and get the hell out of his home. He then calmly walked Alex to the door and told him if he ever saw him again, he wouldn't hesitate to kill him.

Trixie then stepped out of the bedroom. She had only manged to put her shirt back on as she had feared for Alex when Jake escorted him out of the room roughly. Jake didn't look at her as he asked her how long she had been cheating on him. Trixie tried to explain, Jake argued with her, but he wasn't making any sense. He had referred to Alex as Alan. He had also referred to Jerry as his, though Trixie couldn't recall him ever doing so without there being other people in the room.

Seeing the confusion on her face as they argued, Jake suddenly fell to the floor. Trixie rushed to him and discovered the large gash on the back of his head. She hadn't noticed it before because of all his hair and what had just taken place. He was confused, disoriented, and losing a lot of blood. Trixie told him he needed a hospital, but he refused. They would ask too many questions. Questions neither of them could explain.

Trixie helped him up before they made their way into the bathroom. There was dried blood all over his body. He needed to be cleaned up and his head needed taken care of. She ran a bath for him as she found what she needed to clean his wound and wrap his head up. He told her he felt tired, but Trixie refused to let him sleep, in fear of a concussion.

It was the first time she had seen Jake naked as she bathed him, but that wasn't what she was focused on. She didn't want to leave him alone in case he fell asleep while in the water filled tub. Jake watched her as she bathed him and asked why she wanted to cheat on him. He thought they were happy. Trixie didn't want to answer. In a few days, he would be better and his questions wouldn't matter anymore.

But he was persistent with his questions to the point where Trixie just wanted him to shut up. So she explained about the argument they had had a few days ago, and how much he had hurt her. With tears, she told him she was going to leave him. It was then that Jake began speaking in third person, his eyelids heavy. "You can't leave, Jake. He loves you, in his own way, he loves you."

Trixie had smiled sadly at the confession. As far as she was concerned it was too late, he had already made his decision. He had chosen Rose. Besides he wasn't himself at the moment, so it really couldn't count. She then stood up, in the mind frame of getting him a towel, but to her surprise, Jake's reflects were still well intake. "Don't leave him," he asked of her, pulling her back down to the floor beside the tub. "Don't leave _me_," he finally corrected himself. He then leaned in and kissed her gently.

Gregory would later try to convince himself that he kissed her for _Jake_. So that she wouldn't leave _Jake_. And that he was only doing his job. The orders for Jake's investigation had come through. He had to pull a few strings to make sure that he was primary on the case, convincing the others that as a relative, that he could get closer than anyone else before raising suspicion.

The first task had been to hit close to home and figure out how much his human wife knew about what Jake was doing before closing in on Jake himself. With the information given to them by Gregory they were able to set up a timetable. Gregory tried to warn Jake, but he was being closely watched my his fellow team, because of the fact that he was a relative and his loyalty yet to be factored.

Gregory knew that Trixie didn't know anything from what Jake had told them, but he figured that while they were focusing on Trixie, that meant more time for his cousin and more time to get word out to him.

They had come up with a cover story to why 'Jake' had to come home early that week, which immediately seem to go out the door as soon as Gregory saw her with a man that was not his cousin. He tried to act in the way he knew Jake would, but for some reason his own anger came through, because he knew no matter how angry Jake was with anyone he would never threaten to take their life, it wasn't his style.

After Alex had left, his argument with Trixie went downhill fast. He had learned things about Jake he would have never guess between then and the kiss he shared with his cousin's wife in the bathroom. Gregory thought he had almost blown his identity when he reacted to Trixie telling him that Jerry wasn't Jake's and that their marriage was nothing but a lie, so why the hell did he care if she was with Alex.

Gregory's answer had been on point to what Jake would have told her. He could see the shame on her face as he spoke to her about honoring her as his wife and not disrespecting their home by bring someone else into it as she had or tried to at least.

She had then asked about something he had no knowledge of whatsoever. She had asked about something called Spud and looked very expecting of him. It was then that he played on his so called blood lost and pretended to be confused and out of it. Though not all of it was an act. The self wound spell had been a little more powerful than he had thought, so much so that he forgot exactly what he was doing and forgot to refer to himself as Jake.

It tore at him to hear why Trixie wanted to leave Jake, but Gregory knew that couldn't happen, it would ruin the investigation. Jake would be more focus on trying to get her back than anything else. . . not that he wanted his cousin arrested, that is.

There were probably a dozen things he could have said to convince her that his cousin loved her, but for a moment, he had forgotten who he was and what he was doing. The situation, paralleling to one he had not too long ago.

Her name was Sophia, and she was human. She was spirited and patient, a true gift to Gregory. She was someone he could have loved. But he never got that chance. She had found what he was and so he shared with her his world, but it was too much for her and she threaten to expose it. He begged her not too, but she wouldn't hear of it. He told her fine, but that he wanted to part on good terms as he handed her a drink. A tear ran down his face as he watched her drink it, knowing that with the amount of potion he gave her, she wouldn't remember his world. . . or him. By refusing to not keep his secret, she had left him.

In the long run, he knew the potion was the right choice. If anyone had found out about her and what she knew and had determined it was more than a potion could handle, she would have been put to death, as stated by Dragon Council Law, to protect their kind and the world they protected.

Gregory couldn't help but be a little jealous of his cousin. He had a human wife who kept his secrets. How could he treat her as badly as he had just learned and not fear that she would spill them? What kind of hold did he have on her?

But at that moment, as his tongue explored her mouth, those weren't the questions at the top of his head. He had then pulled Trixie into the tub, her clothes become soaked and stuck to her body. "Jake. . ." she breathed as she lightly pulled back. "You're not well," was what she told him before she got out of the tub, water splashing all over the floor.

She then grabbed several towels from the linen closet. She tossed one of them on the floor and slid it along as she walked back down the hall, trying to get up some on the blood and water that was there. She looked up when she heard water splash onto the bathroom floor again, she groaned thinking he was going hurt himself if he didn't take things more slowly.

She met him in the doorway and told him angrily to be careful as she tried to hand him a towel. To her surprise, he took it from her hand plus the one she had gotten for herself. Trixie watched his eyes curiously as Jake closed in on her and forced her up against the wall with his own body. The phoned rung as she gave a sorry excuse for a protest, which was denied as her husband had her wrap her legs around him. Trixie purred as Jake's kissed littered her face and neck. It was then he began calling her his Kitten. Before long the two were in the bedroom. The few clothes Trixie did have on were soon discarded before she searched for the small box of condoms she had in her nightstand drawer, bought before she gave up on the idea of her and Jake ever being intimate.

During their session of course, it broke. Jake cursed, Trixie laughed. It wasn't until they were cuddled up tight in bed that Trixie realized something was off. She had ran her hand across his chest and then up to his neck. She frowned and then immediately jolted up. "Where's the Jewel of Eskaw?" she asked him. "It's missing." Suddenly all of Jake's confusion seem to make sense. As she understood it, he no longer remembered Spud, meaning based on their life now the blanks were filled in with them and only them. No wonder he had reacted the way he had to certain things. The memories no longer existed.

Gregory seeing her visibly upset lied and said he must have lost it, but he would find it. He had not known that the piece of jewelry that Jake wore that matched Trixie's was so important. His lie didn't seem to calm Trixie though. She ask if he even remembered wearing it. The question completely baffled him to no end. He apologized again for losing it. Trixie settled down after a few minutes, thinking that maybe it was a good thing he didn't remember Spud, at least then she could actually have a husband.

She cuddled back into him and soon fell asleep. Her hold tight on the man she thought was Jake. As Gregory's head finally cleared, and he realized what he had done, panic started to sink in. He had just slept with his cousin's wife, who thought that he was her husband. He had not only compromised his mission, but his relationship with Jake. He cursed softly as he slipped out of bed. He cleaned up the mess he had made, covering up all sighs he had been there. He then slipped out quickly as he tried to remember all the ingredients to the potion that would have to be made.

Trixie woke up with a start the next morning when she realized that Jake wasn't beside her. She had called out his name, but there was no reply. She called out louder as she got out of bed and slipped something on from the closest. Her first concern was Jerry, he had slept through the night, which was kind of strange. As she stepped out in to the hallway, she noticed how everything looked the way it did the morning before. She concluded that Jake had gotten up and left, but why didn't he wake her? She then remembered that he had lost his Jewel of Eskaw, so maybe his memories didn't include it. It was something she would have to get used to.

In Jerry's room she found him already awake and smiling as she approached. She picked him up and took him to the bathroom to get him cleaned up before breakfast. Today she had planned on meeting Belinda and starting to pack her and Jerry's things, but she hoped with Jake not remembering Spud, that things would be different. Maybe his confession of love had been real. She would wait it out and see.

Jake didn't come home that night, or the night after that. She had tried calling his cell, but was surprised to find it turned off. It would be another another night before she saw him again. He walked through their home, duffel bag slung around his shoulder, the Jewel of Eskaw sparkling around his neck. Trixie smiled sadly and said, "You found it."

Jake looked at her oddly as he replied, "Found what?" Trixie explained that he didn't have it when he came home a few days ago. Jake continued to look at her oddly, as he told her he had been the gone entire week, just like every month. Trixie, a little thrown back by the news, could only stare at him with wide eyes.

OoOoO

That same week, a good friend of Jake's stopped by. His name was Fred Nerk, whom Trixie learned was the Australian Dragon. He was in country for his sister's wedding for a few days. He brought with him Gregory and Nigel Thrall. They had planned a boys night in. Jake had just finished setting up the poker table in the living room in front of the television, which had been placed on the football game coming up.

Nigel pulled out a pack of cigarettes as he sat down. Jake asked him to wait until his kid was out of the house. Trixie had been in the kitchen when Jake called out and told him he forgot the drinks and if she could bring them out. Trixie took four cans of soda out of the soda and placed them on the counter. She then took two at a time out to her husband and his boys. Jake and Nigel thanked her as she set them to the side. When she came back and she moved to the other side of the table and placed a drink next to Fred and the other next to Gregory. Fred thank her by addressing her respectfully as 'Mrs. Long', while Gregory thank her softly by calling her 'Kitten'.

Realizing his mistake, he quickly looked at Trixie and then his cousin, who was now deep in conversation with Fred, before turning back to her. "Jake?" she called, her eyes still on Gregory, who almost look like he was shaking his head side to side.

"Yeah?" he pulled out the cards and began to shuffle them.

"Uh you guys have fun, alright?" She saw relief filter onto Gregory's face.

"Alright, and you be safe out there," he told her as she walked back around his way. He then stood and gave her a kiss on the cheek, playing the loving husband in front of the others. Trixie smiled at the gesture before going to fetch her son.

It had been a good two minutes since Trixie had stepped out the the apartment when Gregory excused himself to the bathroom where he turned into his dragon form and slipped out of the window. He changed back into his human form as he touched down in an alley outside the building's garage.

He found Trixie as she was putting Jerry into his car seat. He stood beside her and called her name softly. He was not surprised by the hand that belted across his face. "You bastard!" she yelled so loudly that it scared Jerry, causing him to cry.

"Kitten, I am so sorry," he offered.

"Don't call me that." She pushed him away. "You made me think you were Jake! How sick are you?" she pushed him again and pounded on his chest. "You bastard," she began to cry. "You fucking sick bastard!" Gregory grabbed her wrist, stilling them from their abuse towards him. Trixie fought with no prevail, before she cave in and rested her head against his chest. "How could you? I thought I was going crazy." She had ended up calling Alex on one of the nights 'Jake' hadn't come home to discover that Alex had no recollection of ever coming over to her house on the day in question. He also seem in very much of a hurry to get off the phone with her.

Gregory offered her his apologies again as he finally let go her wrist and wrapped his arms around her. Trixie then slowly embraced him back. And with a small gesture an affair began.

OoOoO

Trixie pulled herself from her memories when she heard Gregory speak. "So you're really pregnant?" he asked.

"Like I said, I don't know." She sat down on the bed next to him. "I don't know what to tell Jake," she admitted.

"We don't tell him anything," Gregory told her. "Not yet. First we have to find out if you're actually pregnant," he decided.

"And if I am?" she asked.

Gregory took her hand before bringing it up to his lips and giving it a kiss. "Then we'll finally tell him the truth. That we're in love and that we're going to be together, okay?"

"What about Jerry?" she wanted to know. "He's become attached, Jake isn't going to let him go."

"Jake isn't his real father, he has no rights to him," Gregory told her.

"You're wrong, because he does. His name is on Jerry's birth certificate, he lives under Jake's roof. As far as anyone who matters is concerned, Jerry is Jake's son."

"Not by Dragon law, he isn't," he raised a point. "Jake has still not claimed you in front of the Council." Gregory placed his hand on Trixie's still flat stomach. "If you're pregnant, when our baby is born, I swear to claim you and this child."

Trixie smiled as she remember what the word, 'claim' meant in their world. "Gregory, are you- are saying what I think you are?"

He slightly blushed as he nodded. "Yeah, I am," he said softly.

Trixie closed the gap between them, forcing Gregory down onto the bed. "Did you bring the handcuffs?" she asked.

Gregory reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair. "Always."

OoOoO

Trixie arrived home before nightfall as Jake had instructed. She found him watching television while holding Jerry in his arms. "Well?" he asked as she came into his view.

"He doesn't suspect a thing," she told him as she sat down next to him and placed a hand on his thigh. "We didn't even focus on you this time. I kept him well distracted from his task."

After Trixie began her affair with Gregory, Jake soon found out about it. He had been looking for something of Jerry's and thought to look in Trixie's nightstand for it. He had known about the pack of condoms, he just didn't expected to find it open or with one of them missing.

He confronted Trixie about it that very day. She told him everything, about how she had actually planned to leave him, how 'he' had shown up and caught her with Alex, about the threat, the tub, the kiss, the sex in the bed they shared, and then what she had thought after discovering he wasn't wearing the Jewel of Eskaw.

Jake sat with his head down as Trixie went through the explanation. After she was finished he was silent for a long time. When he finally spoke, he asked a question that completely knocked Trixie off her guard. He asked what she had thought of Gregory as a lover. After a moment of debating what to actually tell him, she told him he left her very happy.

Jake nodded as he stood up, a look of determination in his eyes. He then asked Trixie what she thought of him as a lover. Trixie didn't understand until he took her face with both of his hands and planted a kiss on her that made her forget that her feet were touching the ground. Jake, her husband, now not only in name, made love to her that very night.

As they laid in bed, he told her that Gregory could no longer be trusted. He was DOS and coming into his home disguised as him had a purpose. He told her that he would have to delay a few plans until the investigation on him was completed. He wouldn't leave anything to chance. Trixie was bothered to hear that eventually he would go back looking for Rose. She had thought him finally making love to her was a step from that direction, but she let her concerns go unheard. She was so tired of fighting.

"Good." Jake nodded as he responded to Trixie. "Jerry's already out for the night. I'm going to put him to bed." He stood up.

Trixie stood up along with him. "Alright, I guess I'll go and take a shower."

The warm water was refreshing as it rained down upon Trixie's skin. Her eyes were closed as she tilted her head back and let it run through her hair, erasing any trace that Gregory had left on her body.

Trixie was not surprised as she heard the bathroom door open. She then heard the sound of clothes rustling before the shower curtain was pulled back and Jake stepped in with her. She giggled as he pushed her up against the shower wall in a manner that was similar to Gregory. They truly were related. And to answer Jake's question about what she thought of him as a lover, although Gregory kept her happy, her husband kept her quite. . ._ satisfied_.

To Be Continued. . .

* * *

**A/N**: Did anyone else notice in the episode _Supernatural Tuesday _how Jake pretty much pimped Trixie out for a vote? And if you pay attention, you can actually see the dude checking her out at the beginning of the episode. Which I thought was a nice touch. So Jake using her so Gregory doesn't get too close is actually in-character. . . Man, that's sad! 

Then as we learned in _Feeding Frenzy_, Jake is very competitive when it comes to Greggy, so of course he's not going to let him have one up on him when it comes to his own wife. . . Don't look at me like that, that's Jake's personality.


	17. Rose ::V1::

**A/N:** Special thanks to my boy Drkcrnival for helping me though my writer's block.

* * *

Posted: January 6, 2007 

**Chapter Seventeen: Rose **

Jake woke up in his bed to find himself alone within it. He sat up rubbing the sleep out of his eye as he yawned. He smiled as the door opened and Trixie walked gracefully into the room albeit a little stiffly. She was wearing a short, satin gown. It was pink and exposed every inch of her long brown legs. Jake's smile grew, remembering the fun they had earlier as he took in her movements. She placed the six inch toy she had just finished washing off into her nightstand drawer. "Morning, Trixie," he greeted her happily.

She turned his away, pausing where she stood. "Morning," she greeted him, her voice dull. Jake frowned as something else came back to his mind. "Could you wake Jerry for me?" she asked, her back to him as she fetched clothes for the day from her closet. "I bathed him last night, so just dress and feed him and I'll take him to daycare on my way to work," she told him.

"Yeah," he replied as he got out of bed. He found his red boxers on the floor and slipped them on. He had just pulled his t-shirt over his head when he saw Trixie head back towards the door. "Trix?" he called after her.

"What?" She sighed.

"Me and you. . . we're good, right?" He wanted to know.

Trixie turned her head and forced a smile on her face. "Of course," she told him before leaving the room to go take a shower.

Jake cringed as he raked his fingers through his hair. He knew he had messed up no matter how Trixie tried to deny it. And deny she did, because no woman got over her husband calling out another woman's name as they made love as Trixie would have Jake believe. She had become so docile, in Jake's opinion, that she hadn't even been arguing with him lately, something he didn't know what to make of. He sighed as he made his way across the hall into Jerry's room, who fussed and cried as Jake woke him when he picked him up out of the crib.

Jake had the small boy, changed, dressed, and was still feeding him by the time Trixie came into the kitchen to find herself something to eat while in the car. Jerry's diaper bag hung on her arm as she stuffed an energy bar into side where it could easily be reached. "Where's my Mr. Man?" Trixie spoke playfully as she rounded Jerry's high chair. The seven month old laughed happily as his mother came into his view. "There he is!" Trixie bent over and hummed as she littered his fat cheeks with little kisses.

Jake seemed amused as he dripped the tiny blue baby spoon back into a jar of baby food. "He's almost done," he told her as gathered the last bit of carrots onto the spoon.

Trixie straightened up as she placed the baby bag on the table. She then went over to the cupboard to grab a glass before heading to fridge. On the refrigerator door was a calender. "August twelfth? Dammit, I almost forgot," she whispered to herself before pouring herself some orange juice.

"Almost forgot what?" Jake asked curiously.

"I have a doctor's appointment this afternoon." She put the juice carton away. "It's right after work so I won't be able to pick up Jerry."

Jake nodded in understanding. "Alright, I'll pick him up."

"So I guess that means you're taking the car today?" she asked, as Jerry easily got carsick on the city bus.

"Yeah," Jake replied as he tossed the empty jar into the trash from where he sat. "So what's the appointment for?" he asked casually.

"It's nothing really," she told him as she continued to stand by the fridge, her glass close to her mouth as she drunk from it. "It'sjustIthinkImightbepregnant," she said hurriedly before taking a huge gulp from her glass.

Jake looked at her with one eyebrow cocked, his mouth slightly opened as he tried to decrypt her words. "I sorry, run that by me again."

Trixie took a deep breath as she lowered her head and her glass, which she now held with both hands. "I said. . . I think I might be pregnant," she announced slowly before her eyes looked worriedly at the man sitting across the room.

Jake turned his head away before lifting his hand and allowing several of his fingers to massage his temple. He was surprised by the statement, though not sure why. It wasn't as if he and Trixie had shown a lot of caution lately. They had literally been going at it like a pair of jack rabbits for the last three weeks. Honestly, she was starting to wear a brother out, hence the new toy. She was insatiable really, and this was with Jake knowing full well about Gregory. Not that his cousin was a subject he wanted to dwell on. What he had done was unforgivable in Jake's eyes. . . but then again, he was also thankful to him.Why did his life have to be so complicate?

After Trixie had admitted to him how her affair began with Gregory, she apologized to no end, telling Jake she would end it right away as she began to cry. Jake found that he couldn't look at her as he sat with his head down trying to soak in everything. It was then that he realized, that if Gregory hadn't intervene that he would have came home to an empty apartment. Jake knew that although life with Trixie was _no where_ near perfect, learning that she planned to fulfill her threat of walking out on him was a devastating discovery.

It was then that he had asked what kind of lover his cousin had been, wondering what were the chances of her still leaving him. When she told him that being with Gregory made her happy, it was probably the last word that he wanted to hear, considering she had told him only days before that she wasn't happy with their marriage.

In that moment, Jake told himself, he would not allow his cousin to mean more to his wife then he did. He would make her happy no matter what that meant. So he had given himself to Trixie that night, thinking that was what she wanted. It was only afterwards when he told her of his plans, which involved her staying close to Gregory and he saw the look of disbelief on her face, that he realized it wasn't. She wanted more than his body, she wanted all of him - his heart, his soul, his thoughts, but Jake couldn't give that to her, not when they belonged to someone else. . .

"Jake?" her soft voice reached his ears. "Will you please say something."

"Uhh- Yeah." Jake stood and walked over to her. He took the glass from her hand and placed it on the counter next to her. He then took her small hands within his own and smiled at her. "How about this? I'll call Haley and see if she's busy this afternoon, if she's not I'll drop Jerry with her and I'll meet you at your appointment." He still felt horribly guilty for not being there when Jerry was born. "Afterwards we'll go out to dinner, whether you're pregnant or not."

Trixie began to shake her head. "Jake, I don't. . ." she trailed off.

"What?" He looked at her curiously, but she only sighed. "I know what you're thinking. Time wise, if you're pregnant. . . well, the timing could be better," he admitted as his hand found her stomach. "But to tell you the truth, I'm a little excited." Jake couldn't help but think that maybe things between him and Trixie would be better if they shared a child.

"Jake," Trixie continued to shake her head as she removed his hand. "Jake. . . Gregory, is meeting me at the hospital this afternoon," she informed him.

Jake only stared at her. "I don't understand."

Trixie licked her lips as she looked into her husband's eyes. "I'm pretty sure that, if I'm pregnant, that it's Gregory's."

"Okay, Trix, don't play with me like that. That's not funny." He stared at her hard, willing her to tell him that she was trying to play a cruel trick on him.

"I'm sorry," she apologized.

Jake raked his finger through his hair, the frown on his face visible as he slow walked away from his wife. He then leaned on the kitchen table tucking a hand under his arm. "You told me," he paused, thinking over his words carefully. "You told me that you two _always_ used protection."

"We do, Jake." She took a step forward. "It was an accident, okay?"

He turned his head away. "Yeah, right," he said skeptically.

"How dare you?" she asked of him after hearing his response. "I mean, do you really not get it? Are you that blind to what's going on? Don't you see that-" she stopped, waving her hand as if it was all too much. "Forget it. I need to go."

"Wait, where are you going?" Jake walked around the high chair and grabbed Trixie's arm. "I don't see- what?" he demanded to know.

"Let go!" Trixie yelled as she tried to pull herself from his grip, but he only held on tighter. "Ow! That hurts!"

"Tell me, what you really think, Trix," he told her. "Tell me, what I don't see!" he yelled.

"You don't see, that this is all your fault!" she yelled in his face. Jerry hearing his parents angry voices began to cry. "Dammit, Jake," she said softly as she was finally able to shake herself loose of her husband. "Shh, it's okay," she reassured her son as she picked him up.

"My fault?" Jake, though outraged, kept his voice calm as best as he could. "Please, enlighten me, how in your little world, you being knocked up is my fault? Because from where I'm standing, if I were the reason, we wouldn't be having this argument!" he yelled to gritted teeth.

Trixie looked at the man before her in disgust. "It is your fault," she let be known. "Because it happened, when I thought he was you," she whispered, her voice somewhat broken, but still filled with anger. "Which would have never happened if you were where you were suppose to be. _Home_." She then handed Jerry over to Jake, whose face melted of all anger. "Second fiddle, Jake," were her last words to him before she walked out the kitchen to leave for work.

OoOoO

Jake had just finished getting dressed and was almost out the door, with Jerry in his arms, when the phone ringed. He sighed in irritation before putting down the baby bag and picking up the phone. "Hello?" he greeted.

"Good morning, Mr. Long," said the voice of a woman on the other end.

Jake's forehead creased. "I thought I told you never to call me at home," he told her. "What if my wife had been here? What if she had answered the phone and heard your voice?"

"Yes, I see how that could be problematic for you," she concluded. "I'm sorry, but this is urgent. Luck has finally smiled on us," she informed him.

"What is it?" he asked. "Wait, no," he added quickly. "Not over the phone."

"Then we should meet," she suggested. "I'll be in the city today."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Jake asked her as he shifted Jerry in his other arm, who was gnawing on his shirt.

"You worry too much, Long," she told him with a smile. "Meet me where we first meet and we'll take it from there. What time is good for you?"

Jake looked down at the child in his arm. "Uh later this afternoon is good, maybe around six or so. I'll call you to let you know," he informed her.

"I'll be waiting for your call," she told him him before they said their goodbyes and each went along their way.

OoOoO

Later that day, Trixie stepped through the door of a hotel room with Gregory behind her. It wasn't the usual place where they met, but one near the hospital that they just left. Trixie walked over to the bed. "This is a good thing, Trixie," Gregory told her with a smile as he closed the door behind them.

"Yeah," she said softly as she plopped herself down and fell back before placing her hand on her stomach.

Gregory laid down beside her as he kicked off his shoes. "We should celebrate," he suggested as he placed his hand on top of hers. "Are you hungry? We could order room service," he offered, but Trixie only shook her head before turning her head away from him. Gregory slightly frown. He sighed. "You're thinking about Jake, aren't you?" he asked.

"He's not going to be happy about this," she told him. "I mean, I can only imagine what he'll think-"

"Who cares what the fuck Jake thinks!" Gregory said loudly as he sat up.

Trixie finally turned her head towards him. It was the first time she had ever heard him raise his voice to her. It was then she realized that he was more stressed about this than he was letting on. "I'm sorry," she mumbled. She then sat up and wrapped her arm low around him, resting her chin on his shoulder.

Gregory's shoulders fell. "No, I'm sorry." He turned his head to her and kissed her gently. "It's just I know this isn't the ideal situation, but can you please just look on the bright side of things for once?" he asked of her. "In a few days we'll go to Jake and we'll tell him what's going on, okay? That's the hard part, right? And maybe telling my mother," he added. "But after that there shouldn't be anything we can't handle," he reassured her.

Trixie nodded before standing up and to going over to that small round table that was in the room. She looked over the menu. "I was thinking that maybe I could talk to Jake by myself," she began. "I don't want him to feel as if we're rubbing anything in his face by you being there," she told him her thoughts.

"Alright, that's understandable. Jake can be quite prideful," he agreed.

"I'm not really feeling anything on this menu." Trixie eyed the items again.

"Well, actually." Gregory stood up and walked over to Trixie. He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and kissed her neck. "I was looking more forward to dessert than dinner." He began swaying back and forth. Trixie gave a small laugh. "What a beautiful sound," he told her as he began to unfasten the buttons that made up her work uniform, which included a gray looking blazer and a matching skirt that went down to her knees.

Trixie lowered her head enjoying the kisses Gregory was placing on the back of her neck as he slid the blazer off, revealing the white, short sleeve blouse underneath it. Trixie gasped when she opened her eyes and noticed a dark mark just above her elbow. She pulled away from Gregory and quickly threw the blazer back on. Gregory looked up baffled. "Trixie? What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said quickly as she pulled the jacket tight around her.

Gregory raised an eyebrow as he made his way to her. "Than you do know for this to work, clothes need to be taken off, right?" he teased playfully. "Come on, I'll help you." He removed her hands and slide the blazer back down her shoulders.

"Please, Greg, I'm just not in the mood anymore, okay?" Trixie protested, slightly struggling as she tried to keep the jacket above a certain area, but she knew it was too late as she heard Gregory's next words.

"What's wrong with your arm?" he asked, brow furrowed as he took in the hand shape like bruise on her skin.

"Um. . ." Trixie thought quickly. She couldn't reveal to him the argument she had with Jake that morning and what it was about. "I was careless this morning is all. I almost stepped into traffic and someone quickly pulled me back," she lied as she took a step back, not knowing that even after leaving her father's home that she would still have to make such excuses. "I was on my cell," she added.

Trixie began to grow self-conscious as Gregory's eyes had not left the mark on her arm. She tried to cover it with her hand, but it was small compared to her husband's. Gregory than finally looked into her eyes. He felt his stomach churn as a question formed in his mind. "Did Jake-"

"No!" Trixie cut him off before he could even finish. "Jake would never," she insisted.

"Trixie," Gregory said firmly, but concern was clear in his tone.

Trixie closed her eyes as she sighed, knowing he was seeing right through her lie. "He didn't mean it." The response sounded so automatic leaving her mouth that it sent a cold chill down Gregory's spine. "It's just he doesn't realize his own strength when he's excited." She then added softly, "Or angry."

"Okay," Gregory began as he processed the new information. "How often does he get angry?" he asked carefully.

"Stop," Trixie asked of him. "You know your cousin as well as I do. He's not capable of what you're thinking," she told him. "We had a few words this morning, things got a little heated and that is all," she explained. "No big deal."

"Then if it's not a big deal, why did you try to lie about it?" he asked a little irritated.

"I don't know!" she stated loudly, not really wanting to get into any kind of subject that could lead her to speaking about her father.

"Has he- has he ever hurt you before?" he asked.

"No," she whispered. "Well. . . not purposely. It was a very stressful time, but it was so long ago it doesn't even matter anymore."

"Tell me anyway," he asked of her, but Trixie only shook her head. "Please."

It took a moment before she began. "He uh burned me once, back in the seventh grade. I had just figured out that Rose was Huntsgirl. You see, Jake had been planning to tell her who he was. I tried to convince him otherwise, but of course all I got for my trouble was him thinking I was trying to throw him off _my_ tracks. I still can't believe he thought I could be a Huntsclan member," she scoffed shaking her head in disbelief. "But that boy is hard headed, he doesn't understand reason. So I tried to physically hold him back, which he didn't like. That's when he burned me. It wasn't anything serious mind you. It's just- I wanted him safe. It still hurts knowing he didn't trust me." 

Gregory took a step forward, taking Trixie tightly into his arms as he saw tears start to brim in her eyes. "If it means anything at all, I trust you," he told her sweetly. Trixie couldn't help but smile as she regarded the father of her unborn child.

OoOoO

It was half past five o'clock when Jake got home from work. He soon got undressed and took himself a shower, hating when he came home smelling like the dentist's office. He was in his bedroom still getting dressed when he received a call on his cell. He looked at the caller ID, the number had no name, but he recognized the number all the same. "I thought I said I would call you?" he asked as he answered the phone.

He was greeted with heavy breathing. "I don't know how, but our rendezvous spot has been compromised," she informed him. "Jake, DOS, they were waiting for me." She sounded on the verge of tears. "I'm hurt."

"Where are you? I'll come and get you," he told her.

"I'm coming to you, I-"

"No! We'll meet somewhere else," he cut her off.

"Please, I don't know the city like I used too."

Jake sighed. "Fine, but once you get here, we can't stay."

"Of course," she agreed. "I'm on my way."

After hanging up, Jake threw his cell on the bed and finished getting dressed. He was walking down the hall when the last sound he wanted to hear reached his ears. . . keys in the door. "What are you doing here?" he asked as Trixie came in carrying Jerry, who reached out for his father.

"Well, hello to you to Jake. My day was good, thanks for asking," she said sarcastically as she tried handing Jerry over, but Jake wouldn't take him.

Jerry began to fuss, but he went ignored by Jake. "I just thought you would be home later. I thought you had an appointment and that I was picking up Jerry," he explained.

"Yeah, I was called at work. My appointment was moved up, so my boss, Diana, let me off early."

"So, how did it go?" Jake couldn't help but ask.

"I'm pregnant," she confirmed as she held Jerry tighter to stop his struggling. There was then a knock at the door.

"Uh you should take Jerry into the kitchen, I'm sure he's hungry." Jake tried to direct them out of the room.

"Yeah." There came another knock. "I'll just get the door first," she told him since she was the closest to it.

"Trixie, wait!" he called, but it was already too late as Trixie pulled the door open.

"Oh my God," she began in a whisper as she took in the sight of the woman before her. ". . . _Rose_."

To Be Continued. . .


	18. Jake

Posted: February 15, 2007

**Chapter Eighteen: Jake **

Blue eyes pierced through the brown eyes of the woman before her before moving towards the man standing behind said woman. The man's anguish felt eyes did not leave his wife until his name was softly spoken. "Jake," she breathed as she leaned heavily on the door frame.

Seeing how weak she seemed, Jake immediately went to her. Trixie only stepped to the side as to not be in the way as Jake picked the collapsing woman into his arms and carried her towards the couch. As he did, Trixie noticed the blood dripping from the side of her abdomen. Jake then carefully placed her onto the couch. He scanned her body slowly, before slightly lifting her shirt and revealing the three claw marks that had been placed upon her.

Jake rose his head and found his wife, her expression blank as she regarded him as well. She sighed before walking over to the corner of room to place Jerry in the corner where his toys were set up on the floor. She made her way over to the couch and took her place next Jake. Trixie reached out and swept blonde locks out of the way as her cool hand made contact with a warm forehead.

She then looked at the gashes that pooled with a rich red liquid. "She needs a hospital," she told him.

"That's where they would expect to find her," he informed her.

"I can't do much, but clean her up, Jakey," she told him firmly. "If she develops a fever-"

"Just tell me what you need." He stood as he waited for her instructions.

"Grab that large mixing bowl we have in the kitchen. Fill it with warm water," she began. "Then go to the hall closet and grab me a wash cloth and several bath towels." Her eyes went back to the woman's lesions. "And don't forget to bring me the first-aid kit from our bedroom. I didn't have time to replace all the materials from the last time I used it, but it should be enough to wrap this wound up."

A few minutes later, Trixie had the other woman sit up as best she could. She cringed and hissed as the antiseptics Trixie had applied still stung. Trixie then began to wrap the bandages around her with the help of Jake. "Will she be okay?" he asked her.

"Don't worry, her blood lost isn't as bad as it could have been. Rose will be fine," Trixie said her head down as she concentrated on the task before her.

"Jesus, Long, you really haven't told her anything, have you?" Trixie looked up curiously at the statement. A hand was then held before her. It was unblemished. "I'm not Rose," she spoke. "My name is Daisy. Rose is my twin sister."

Trixie looked to Jake, who nodded, indicating it was true, before Trixie clipped the bandages and turned to the table to place the items she had not used back into the first aid kit. "In that case, it's very nice to meet you, Daisy," she said flatly.

"Thank you, Mrs. Long," Daisy smiled before turning her attention towards Jake. "I have news of Rose." Trixie frowned. "Well, not yet anyway, but I'm meeting with someone tonight here in New York. I don't really trust him, which is why I wanted to see you. I want you there with me in case things don't pan out."

"Yes, I understand," Jake rose from the floor, "but what about the dragons who attacked you?" concerned lined his words as he spoke. Trixie scoffed to herself as she stood and made her way down the hall.

Daisy lifted her hand as if to wave the thought away. "They only attacked me because they thought I was Rose. It doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does," Jake needed to make clear. "You coming to my home could put my family in danger."

Daisy sat up a little straighter, her hand finding her side as she looked at Jake a bit surprised. "So you rather I had bled to death?"

"No, of course not. But what if you had been followed? We can't stay here."

"I am _not_ my sister!" Daisy argued. "I don't bounce back as quickly as she does." She slowly took a deep breath. "Look, I just need to rest before we meet our contact."

"Fine." Jake stood. "But not here." Daisy went to speak, but before she could, crying reached her ears.

She turned to see the small child in the corner, who seemed to be having a fit for no reason at all. Jake walked around the couch to pick up the crying boy, who immediately began to smile as Jake held him. "He's a beautiful boy," Daisy spoke as she looked over Jerry suspiciously. Jake had mentioned him before to her, but never said anything about not actually being his biological father.

"Thank you." Jake smiled as he kissed Jerry's head. "He can be a handful sometimes, but I love him more than anything," he admitted softly. "I don't know what I would do without him and Trixie."

"Then tell me," Daisy began. "If your wife and child mean so much to you, why did you agree to help me find my sister?" she couldn't help but ask. "I mean, if I were in your wife's shoes, I think I would have some issues with you chasing after someone you once loved."

Jake's brow creased at the question, his attention once again going back to Daisy as Jerry played happily with his shirt. "Well, you aren't my wife," he stated almost angrily, not impressed with her observation. "And whatever issues I have within my home, aren't your business."

Daisy's eyes grew a bit wide before returning to their normal size, apparently she had hit a nerve. "Your home?" She cocked an eyebrow curiously. "You forget where you are, Long. Don't forget whose family owns this building and who is living here rent free."

"What are you getting at?" he asked.

She stared at him for a moment. "Exactly what it sounds like."

Just then Trixie entered back into the living room, feeling a little self-conscious with the Rose look-alike only feet away. "Um, will you be staying for dinner?" she asked politely.

"Actually," Daisy held her side firmly as she stood up slowly, pain clearly reading on her features. "We should probably head out."

"We?" Trixie looked from Daisy to Jake, who did not look at her, and then back to Daisy.

"Yes," the blonde confirmed. "We're meeting someone around the way in Flatbush." She made her way to the front door as Jake walked over to Trixie.

"I'll be back later tonight. I don't know when, so don't wait up," he told her, half expecting her to argue with him, so he was taken by surprise by her next words.

"Okay," she began. "Your dinner will be in the microwave when you come back." She then held out her arms for her son. "Come on, Mr. Man, daddy has important things to do," she spoke softly.

Jake went to pass Jerry over, but something tugged at him. He looked down to see that Jerry's fist was tightly holding the fabric of his shirt. Jake looked upon the child's face, which looked more expressive than he had ever seen it look before. If Jake hadn't known better, he would have thought that Jerry understood the words spoken and didn't want Jake to leave.

Jerry began to whine as Jake was finally able to release the grip that held him. With Jerry now in her hold, Trixie walked Jake over to the open door, as Daisy had already stepped out into the hall and began to make her way towards the elevator. "Nothing I say will stop you from walking out this door, will it?" Trixie asked.

Jake blinked and then only stared at her as she pretended his gaze wasn't on her. "No," he told her honestly.

"Then good luck." She finally met his eyes. "I really hope you find what you're looking for." Trixie's eyes closed as Jake did something he hadn't done in a long time. He kissed her forehead. "Tell Daisy to check on her bandages often," were her last words to him before she closed the door behind him.

When it was closed, she walked over and sat on the couch and sat there silently for several moments. Jerry cooed as he watched his mother bring her free hand up and cover her face. He felt her body begin to shake, almost violently as she tried, but failed miserably, to hold back her cries. Then finally, she stop trying, and cried loudly as she held her son closer. Jerry leaned his head against her, his arms around her as he stayed silent, allowing his mother to find the little comfort that he tried to provided. Even at such a tender age, he knew the reasoning behind all these tears all too well. . . daddy had made mommy cry again.

Finally, when she had no more tears to shed, she reached for the phone beside her. "Hello, Gregory?"

OoOoO

Jake lingered in the shadows, behind a large cylinder support beam, hidden from site, inside of an office building parking garage. Daisy leaned on the supporter as well, but on the other side where the light was abundant. Jake looked at his watch. "We've been here for over an hour," he whispered to Daisy. "He's not coming. We should just cut our loses," he suggested.

"Ten more minutes," Daisy asked of him, her tone almost desperate. "Just ten more minutes, please."

"Fine," he agreed. "But if in ten minutes no one-" he stopped abruptly.

Daisy slightly turned her head towards him, still not able to see him from where she stood. "What is it?" she asked him softly.

Jake tilted his head upward and sniffed the air. "Goblins," he replied.

"Ms. Hunter, I presume," came a voice from across the garage as he made his away towards the blonde woman.

"Yes, I am Hunter," Daisy stated as she made her way towards the goblin, covered from head to toe as not be discovered by any other human. "Do you have what you have promised me?" she asked.

The goblin reached into his coat and pulled out a large yellow envelope. "I have it all," he told her. "And you?" he snatched the envelope away as Daisy reached out for it.

She narrowed her eyes angrily with the gesture. "Of course I do." She then reached into her back pocket and pulled out what looked, from Jake's point a view, a bundle of credit cards. "Untraceable," she added before each made their trade.

"Good luck to you, Hunter," the goblin bid before starting to walk away.

"To you as well," she wished before he disappeared as quickly as he arrived.

A moment later, Jake appeared from his hiding place to find Daisy opening the her package. "What was that all about?" Jake asked, curious about her last statement to the goblin.

"Nothing to concern yourself about," she ignored the question as she pulled something out of the package. Jake watched as she slowly brought her hand to her mouth as her usually stern expression grew soft.

Jake then looked over her shoulder and found an image of someone who looked exactly like Daisy. "Is that. . ." he couldn't bring himself to finish the question.

"Yes." Daisy nodded. "It's Rose." She then flipped through the remaining pictures. "Here." She passed the pictures to Jake when she was finished and reached back into the package inside were two passports and a piece of paper folded into threes. She opened it up and read it. When she was done, she turned to Jake, who was fondly still looking at the pictures of Rose. "Go home and pack, Long," she instructed. "We leave for Australia tonight."

Jake's head snapped up. "Australia? That's clear across the world."

"Well, that's were we'll find Rose," she informed him.

"And how long would we be gone?" he asked.

"As long as it takes to find her," was her answer.

Jake shook his head. "I don't know if I can leave Trixie and Jerry for that long," he expressed his concerns.

"Alright, I understand," she nodded as she began to hold her side. "You have a family to see to, but Rose is mine. So with or without you, Jake, I'm leaving tonight."

Jake lowered his head. She was right before, she wasn't Rose, there was no way she would survive traveling alone, not when her face was so familiar in the magically world. And then there were his own selfish reasons. He had searched this long for Rose and now he was on the verge of finding her. He couldn't let his opportunity slip through his fingers. "Fine," he agreed. "I'll come with you."

Daisy smiled at him, truly grateful. "Thank you." She then pulled out her cell phone. "I'm calling my pilot. Meet me at JFK in two hours, okay?" Jake nodded before she walked away.

Jake then pulled out his own cell phone and called Trixie. He told her he and Daisy had a lead on Rose and that they were heading out that very night. He asked her to pack a suitcase for him so save some time. She agreed.

OoOoO

"Trixie?" Jake called out when he arrived, but then cringed, realizing it was past Jerry's bedtime. He hoped he hadn't woken him up as he made his way down the hall towards the bedroom as he noticed it was kind of quiet. "Trix?" he spoke.

"I'm here, Jake," she replied as he finally entered the room to find her simply sitting on the bed facing him.

On the bed, behind her, sat two suitcases. "I thought I said I only needed one?" he asked, positive he had told her that over the phone, yet she knew how he always managed to over pack when he had to do it himself.

"I did only pack you one." She turned slightly and placed her hand on one of the suitcases. "This one is your. I put about two weeks of clothes in here for you," she told him.

Jake was confused. "Then what's with the other one?" he asked.

Trixie sighed, before looking up at Jake. "That one's mine."

Jake shook his head as he thought he realized what was going on. "You're not coming with me, Trix," he made clear.

"I didn't plan on to," she corrected him.

"Then why. . ."

Trixie then said the last words any married man wanted to hear from his wife. "Jakey, I want a divorce."

"Say what?" He looked at her in disbelief. "You can't be serious." And as she told him she was, he made his way over to her and she stood. "That's not what I want."

"I know, but it's what _I_ want," she said.

"Alright," Jake said slowly as he took Trixie by the arms and guided her back to the bed to sit down. "Let's slow down a bit and talk about this."

Trixie scoffed. "_Now_, you want to talk? After you've done nothing but ignore me and push me to the side? _Now_?"

"Trix." Jake got down on one knee in front of her, his hands still on her arms. "Okay, I know I'm not perfect, I admit that, but we have gone through too much to let this fall apart."

Trixie shook her head, taking Jake's hands off of her as she did so. "I don't want to hear it. We have become no more than a broken record. We tried, we did, but we just have to realize this was a bad idea from the start. A marriage can't work without love," she explained. "You don't love me and I don't-" she stopped, realizing long ago her feelings for Jake. "And I don't want cry over you anymore." She lowered her head shielding her eyes from him as they bled tears. "So just give me my divorce, please," she begged.

"No, I refuse to let you go," Jake told her.

Trixie wiped away her tears, her eyes sad, but angry as she looked into husband's. "You can't have your cake and eat it too, Jake. What are going to do when you find Rose?" she asked, causing Jake's head to slightly jerk back. He hadn't thought of that, of what would happen when he finally found her. "Do you honestly think you, me, Jerry, and her are going to be one big happy family? Well it doesn't work like that! I _will not_ be your fool!" She then stood, grabbing her suitcase. "I've been it long enough."

"You? _My_ fool?" Jake stood as well, his tone darker than before. "If anyone has been anyone's fool, I have been yours!" Jake yelled. "My grandfather doesn't even speak to me anymore! My father refuses to look me in the eye! He still doesn't even acknowledge Jerry and how can I blame him? _Everyone_ knows he not mine, but I go on pretending I don't see it!"

Trixie swiftly turned towards him. "Don't you dare put that one me, Jake Long. _You_ are the one who went telling everyone he was yours after I told you not too. You are the one who wanted this marriage and then talked me into it," she set the record straight. "This isn't what I wanted and you know it! You just didn't want-" she cut herself off knowing she was about to go too far.

"Finish it," Jake demanded in a low voice. "What didn't I want?"

"You just didn't want to be alone," she told him softly. "Before I got pregnant with Jerry, you knew of my plans of going to Kingsborough and then transferring out to California. You were okay with it then, because you still had Spud, but then when he left," she placed a hand on her chest, "I'm what you got stuck with."

"That's not it," he told her. "I don't feel stuck with you," he tried to explain. "Don't you know how big a part of my life you are? Do you think I could have gotten through half the shit I got myself into without you?"

"You would have been fine, you're the American Dragon," she told him.

"That doesn't mean I'm invincible," he admitted. "I need you, Trix."

"I know how that feels," she told him. "Now let me show you another feeling." She picked up her suitcase, causing Jake to look at her curiously. "This is how it feels, when the person you need, chooses not to care." Jake found he could only watch as Trixie walked pass him and though the next words out of her mouth were words he had heard many times before, they had no greater meaning then they did now, ". . . _Goodbye, Jake._"

To Be Continued. . .


	19. The Same

Posted: February 25, 2007

**Chapter Nineteen: The Same**

Daisy Hunter looked at her companion curiously from where she sat on her private plane. They had been in the air for three hours now and he hadn't said a single word to her since they had boarded. All he had done was either one of two things. He was either looking out the window into the night sky, or staring at a photo he had in his hand, consisting of him and his wife when they were younger.

She could tell that something was upsetting him, but didn't know if he would take offense if she asked if something was wrong. "Long?" she finally thought it would be best to say something. She waited for him to look at her before she spoke again. "You've been kind of quiet. Is everything alright?"

"Yeah," he sounded so tired to her ears. "Everything is fine," he told her, but then closed his eyes as he began to shake his head. "That's a lie," he admitted with a sigh. He then looked back down at his photo. "I think- I think I've just sacrificed more than I was willing to lose," he said. Daisy waited for him to continue, but instead he only turned his head back around and looked out the window once more.

As he stared out the window, what had occurred between him and Trixie ran like a movie through his mind. It constantly rewound and played again. Reminding him of one simple fact. . .

OoOoO

"Wait!" Jake quickly moved forward, his tail appearing and wrapping around Trixie's waist tightly as his outstretched fingers had missed her.

She shrieked in surprise as she dropped the handle of the suitcase and was pulled closer to Jake. "Let go!" she demanded.

Jake did as he was asked, his tail dissolving as he loosen it from around her. "You have to remember, that you and I aren't alone in this marriage," he reminded her. "What about Jerry?" he paused for a moment. "What about our son?" Trixie's expression soften for a moment, before reading of suspicion. Jake had never referred to Jerry as his when they were alone, and when he had, he wasn't Jake. So Trixie stared deeply into his eyes looking for any signs of falsehood, but found none. "I mean," his head fell, "I know, I probably have no right to ask, but will I be able – I mean, will you allow me–" he didn't know how to form his question.

"Jake," she interrupted him. "All I want is a divorce, not a custody battle," she explained. "As far as I'm concerned, you are Jerry's dad. You can come and see him whenever like. . . that is if you want to."

"I do, I want to see him," Jake responded softly. "And you too," he added.

"Know, just because this didn't work out, doesn't mean I hate you or something. Friends for life and friends for real," she reassured him as she gave him a lopsided smile. "But I should really get going now," she told him. "And you have a plane to catch."

"Of course," he nodded his head. He then took a few steps towards the door. "I uh I just want to see Jerry before you leave, alright?"

"What?" Trixie, who had once again reached for her fallen luggage, looked up a bit confused as she watched Jake walk out the door and across the hall. "Jake, wait." She followed after him.

Jake froze in the doorway of Jerry's room after turning on the light. He had wondered why during all their yelling Jerry hadn't woken up and as he saw the empty crib the answer became obviously clear. Jake slowly turned his head when he heard Trixie approach him. His eyes narrowed with his question. "Where's Jeremiah?"

"He's not here," she answered. "After you left, I called Gregory and he came to pick him up."

Jake walked over to the crib and tossed the blanket aside as if what she just told him was a lie. "How could you?" He looked at her in disbelief when he turned around to fully face her. "How could you allow him to march in here, like he owned the place, and take that child from this home?"

Trixie shook her head as she took a small step forward. "This has never been a true home," she stated her opinion.

"How- how can you say that to me?" Jake practically yelled, unshed tears glistened in his eyes, as his blood boiled within his veins. "We were a family, dammit!" Jake felt as if his world was falling from beneath his feet. This could not be happening.

"That can't be what you actually called this," she spoke softly. "I mean, Jesus, has there been a day, were you haven't thought about Rose, or a day I haven't longed for Spud to come back? If we were really a family, we would be the only thing on each other's mind, but we aren't," she explained. "And I'm tired of pretending," she admitted. "I want something _real_, Jake, and you can't give that to me. You've refuse to time and time again. I'm tired of it."

Jake stood silent for a moment before coming to his own conclusion. "This is Greggy's doing, isn't it?"

"It's Gregory," she corrected him. "And no, this has nothing to with him. This is about me, Jake. _Me_," she emphasized.

Jake spoke as if he hadn't heard her. "He's gone and turned you against me," he was convinced.

"He's done no such thing," she protested. "This has been on my mind since before Gregory even came into the picture," she admitted.

"I won't lose you to him," Jake's voice became unfamiliar to the woman before him. "Jerry is mine," he spat. "_You_ are mine." Trixie was dumbfounded for a moment. She had never heard him speak like this before. Jake then took her long silence as an admission. "What I said was true, wasn't it?" he inquired. "You would let him get away with anything. Like him convincing you to leave me or coming in here and taking my son!" he yelled.

"Okay, Jake," Trixie lifted her hand, wanting to soothe him. "Maybe you should calm down a little," she advised.

"What else did you let him do, huh?" Jake demanded to know as he took a few steps towards her and grabbed her arm. Trixie's eyes went wide as she took in how angry he had become. His hands slowly began to turn red as dark, black claws broke from underneath his nails. This, sadly, was something she was used to, but what she saw next, was not.

His eyes, once the color of a moonless night, burned bright and intensely, but somehow it was more than just that. It was then she realized that they were truly on fire as they bore into hers. Jake's nostrils flared as smoke escaped from them. "Answer me!" he shook her roughly, but Trixie still could not find it within herself to speak. "Did you invite him into our room?" She frantically shook her head no. "Did you allow him to fuck you on our bed again? Did you like it?" His grip tighten with each question.

"Jake!" Trixie finally cried out as she found her voice, tears screamed down her face as she cowered under his rage. "Please," she begged as she tugged at where he had taken a hold of her. "You're breaking my arm!"

"And you're breaking my heart!" he countered.

"Let go!" Trixie began to struggle harder against him until she was able to break free, but her freedom was short lived as she had only managed to take a few steps back before she saw Jake's claws reach out for her again. She stumbled back, losing her footing as she tried to avoid his touch.

Jake did not miss his target, but gravity had already taken its effect and he fall along with her. Trixie cried out in pain as her head hit the hardwood floor before she felt Jake's weight on top of her. "Ow," her voice came out weak. Her head throbbed as black and white spots rapidly swam in her vision.

The man on top of her scoffed. "Flat on your back. Well, if this isn't a position you're used to," he commented before placing a kiss upon her lips. Trixie closed her eyes as she moved her head to one side. Jake then took her chin in his hand and roughly had her face him again. "Don't turn from me," he said between gritted teeth. He leaned in to kiss her again, but was stopped.

Trixie had placed her hand on his chest, slightly pushing him. "Please," the words were barely audible. "Don't."

Jake snatched her hand away, taking both of her wrists as he pinned them to either side of her head. "Don't what?" he asked as he looked down at her. "Isn't this the very place, where you asked me to kiss you? Where you begged me to give into temptation and make love to you?"

"No," she lied.

"Isn't this the place, where you wanted me to be your husband?" he inquired. "And take you the way only a husband should?"

"Jakey," tears raced from her eyes as she spoke. "Don't do this," she begged of him.

"Don't do what?" he asked, growing irritated.

"Don't hurt me," she sobbed.

"Don't. . ." Jake's angry face soften as he watched Trixie break down underneath him. "Hurt you?" It was then that he realized how his actions must have appeared to her. It had never been his intention to hurt her. He just wanted her to know how betrayed he felt as she had chosen that back stabbing, snot-nosed, poor excuse for a dragon, he called his cousin, over him. But then again, hadn't he done the same thing when it came to Rose? Hadn't he knowingly turned his back on her?

Jake then remembered the last real conversation he had had with his grandfather. . .

"_Jake, my boy, tell me," Lao Shi began. "Do you love Trixie?" he asked.  
_

_Jake turned his torso and looked at his grandfather in disbelief. "Of course I do," he told him. "She's my best friend, I do anything for her," he said honestly.  
_

"_That is not what I asked," the older man said to him. "I do not mean the love one friend has for another. I mean, do you love her in a way a man is suppose to love a woman?"_

_Jake frowned as he thought over the question. "What does that have to do with anything?"_

_"Why do you avoid the question?" Lao Shi looked at him oddly. "Trust me, Jake, no matter how honorable you think you are being by marrying Trixie, if your heart is with someone else, your marriage is already doomed to fail," he told him sadly. "I know how strongly you felt about Rose-"_

_"I don't want to talk about Rose," Jake interrupted his grandfather quietly. "She isn't a part of my life anymore. She hasn't shown her face in a year and I wouldn't care less if I ever saw her again," Jake made clear. "So if you really want an answer, than yes, I love Trixie and once we're married no woman will come before her."_

_Lao Shi sighed. "You were always a horrible liar, Jake." _

Jake realized then that he had broken a promise. A promise he had made himself for Trixie. He had promised to never let her fall, but he had, and he had done more than that. Because he hadn't just simply let her fall, he purposely dropped her and than only watched.

Jake looked at his hands, so lost in his anger that he didn't notice that his human form had been slipping. He then looked back down at his wife, reading the fear that clearly marked her features. She was afraid of him. . .

Tears rose back to Jake's eyes as he finally released her. "Trixie, I-" he had begun, but got no further, for as soon as she felt him rise, she desperately backed away from him until her back hit the wall. Jake's chest ached painfully at the reaction. The look in her eyes as she looked at him was unbearable. "Baby girl, please. I'm sorry," he tried to offer.

"Don't touch me," was her response as she quickly tried to wipe away her tears, ashamed of them. "You're a bastard," she told him. "And- And I _hate_ you," she hissed as more tears wet her cheeks. "And I never want to see you again." Then, before Jake could say another word, she rose and ran out of the room.

"Trixie, wait!" Jake cried, as he got up off his knees and ran after her, but Trixie paid him no mind as she slammed the front door behind her with a resounding smack.

Jake froze in his tracks as he watched the front door close and for a time all he found he could do was stare at it. Jake took a staggered breath and shivered as if suddenly cold as he stood deserted. Then, the tears he had been holding back all night finally appeared. He then fell to his hands and knees, weighed down by his pain before crying like he had never done so in his life.

The memory played over and over again, reminding Jake of one simple fact, when he came back. . . _nothing would ever be the same_.

To Be Continued. . .

* * *

**A/N:** Alright, has everyone seen "Love Cruise"? I just actually saw it for the first time like two days ago.

Who thought the best part of the episode was when Jake said, "I'm sorry Rose, but I won't lose you to Brad."? And than he shot her?!

To me it seems that Jake is a very emotional person and he seems to be lead by them. It also appears that he isn't all there at those times, if you ask me. I mean, come on, boy went all up in arms over some imaginary smoke enemy over an imaginary smoke Rose. Repeat it with me now:

_Issues_. . .

Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed the Jake/Trixie part of this story as Trixie joins Spud in a temporary exit. But don't worry, Trixie and Jake still have plenty of problems to deal with when he returns. And I don't know about you guys, but I would love to see things come to a head between Jake and Gregory. I can't wait to get to that part. I smell a beat down! ;-D

Then after this short Rose story arc (fears _short_ will be a lot longer than she thinks), you may expect the return of King Arthur. I'm still a little sad over the fact of his name. I so wanted to call him Emperor Ezekiel. :-(

Oh, and I still don't understand why some of you guys think Spud's dead. Have you not seen ch.1 and the flashforward? This whole story is a _BIG_ flashback and we're trying to get back to that part.

Alright, I think I may have to take a break from this story for a little while, I got five other WIP stories, which I have neglected terribly. Plus, I have to work out the Rose arc. Actually, to be honest, I have to _come up_ with a Rose arc. ++Blushes++ Wish me luck with that.

Oh, and if you haven't noticed, the episode "HOMECOMING" does not, I repeat **_DOES NOT_** exist in this world. Usually, I can blend new information from a show into a story, but damn, if "Homecoming" didn't knock me off my feet.


	20. Best of the Huntsclan

**A/N**: February to June. Four months. That's how long Jake and Trixie have been separated starting in this chapter. . . So did you miss them?

I've decided to try to work Homecoming into the story. . . but only because of what happens in Hong Kong Longs, which I haven't seen yet. Damn Spoilers! Anyway, wish me luck. :-D

* * *

Posted: June 11, 2007 

**Chapter Twenty: Best of the Huntsclan**

A nineteen year old Jake Long sighed heavily as he stared up at the roof of the five star hotel he and Daisy were staying in. It was late and he knew he should have been sleeping, but sleep hadn't come easy to him in the last four months since he had left Trixie and Jerry. Every time he closed his eyes, he could swear he could feel her beside him, smell her as if she were there. And it always hurt, just a little, to open his eyes only to realize his mind was playing tricks on him.

He turned over and faced towards the window as he tucked his arm underneath his pillow. He had tried calling her, a few weeks after he had left. It had been her birthday, and it had been a long day as a lead on Rose had left him emptied handed. He just needed Trixie's comforting words, but they were far from what he got. He had called Trixie's cell, and was not pleased when Gregory picked up the phone.

"I don't want you calling her," Gregory told him.

Jake scoffed. "Excuse me? I think I'll call my wife whenever I damn well please," he responded.

"Oh, so she's your wife now, huh?" Gregory began. "After you abandon her and your kid?"

"That's not what I did!" Jake said angrily.

"Yeah, sure," the other said sarcastically. "And I bet you're also going to tell me, you didn't try to rape her either."

Jake froze a moment at the words. "What?"

"Yeah, that's right, she told me. She's not ready to talk to you, and even when she is, I'm not going to let you near her." Gregory then thought over his next words. "Look, Jake, I don't condone your behavior that night, but I know I played a part in it. I know what I did was wrong, and I understand that-"

"Bullshit!" Jake cut him off suddenly. "You don't understand jack! You have no idea how I feel. Trixie was not only my wife, but my _best_ friend! Since grade school, Gregory." He then sighed softly, his voice breaking a little as he continued to speak. "I would have _never_ done that to you."

"I'm sorry," Gregory said sincerely. "Look, I didn't mean to hurt you, you're my blood," he confessed. "You don't know the things I have done for you-"

"You mean to me," Jake interrupted again. 

"_For you,_" Gregory made clear. "It took a lot to make sure you weren't arrested by DOS, I put my job on the line for you! And then you go and fled the country, for no apparent good reason. There's nothing I can do for you now. You're status as the American Dragon has been revoked. Haley has taken your place and has been given orders along with the rest of DOS, if you are seen on State soil. . ." he took a deep breath. "You are to be arrested without hesitation."

Jake found himself shaking his head from side to side, his own troubles on the back burner as it was overpowered by another thought, _Haley isn't ready_.

"So as your cousin, I'm telling you, you're better off staying where you are."

"Don't you dare pretend you give a damn about me now. You already got what you wanted from me," Jake pointed out.

Gregory frowned at the statement. "You're right, I do," his tone turned dark. "So putting the fact that you're my cousin aside – I'm telling you this once: Don't call here again. Trixie and Jerry are no longer your concern, so stay away from my family."

"_Your _family?!" Jake was outraged, but before he could truly give Gregory a piece of his mind, all he heard was the dial tone. He had tried calling back after that on several occasions, but the number had been disconnected.

Jake stared at the 1st birthday card sitting on the nightstand. Jerry's birthday was next month in January. He didn't want to send it to Gregory's place in fear that Jerry would never receive it. He decided to send it to Haley, with no return address, with hopes that Trixie would see that he made attempts to say in touch.

Jake couldn't help but wonder if Trixie was still upset with him. He still couldn't get over how angry he had gotten that night, it was so unlike him, but he promised, as soon as he settled what he needed to with Rose, that he would make it up to her, or die trying. With that thought, Jake finally closed his eyes and fell into the land of dreams and nightmares.

OoOoO

Fred Nerk, the Australian Dragon, yawned as he flew over the city lights of his beloved home in Sidney. Being the first dragon to be assigned to protect his country, Fred took great pride in what he did and so took his job very seriously. A few months ago, he had gotten word from the World Dragon Council about a fugitive among the Magical World. He was surprised to find out that it was his American mate, Jake Long. There were rumors that he was in his part of the world, but Fred was sure that they were nothing more than just rumors. What did he need in Australia, right?

A few weeks after he received that message, he was surprised to find Jake trying to make contact with him, asking him if he could trust him. Fred reminded him that he once saved his life and so he had not only his friendship, but his loyalty, even if that meant going against the Dragon Council. Jake was relieved to hear his words.

Fred listen as Jake told him how he was going after someone in the Huntsclan, Fred immediately stopped him right there. "The Huntsclan?" Fred couldn't believe his ears. "Jake, no one has heard from the Huntsclan in over five years."

"I know," Jake made clear. "They were wiped out." He shrugged as he added, "All but a handful that is."

"How do you know?" Fred asked.

"Let's just say," he sighed, "sometimes, wishes do come true." Fred had no idea what the man before him was talking about, but he decided not to push the issue, as Jake didn't seem up to it anyway.

"So what you're really trying to tell me, is that there are Huntsclan members here in Australia?" Fred asked, humoring Jake.

"Members? I don't know," he began. "But there's a girl, who was once known as Thorn. I'm looking for her and it's very important that I find her," he said.

"What do you want me to do?" Fred wanted to know.

"Nothing more than you usually do. Just keep an eye out for anything suspicious or out of the ordinary," he asked of him. "I can't be caught, so I'll be keeping a low profile, but this is your home, you probably know it better than anyone. I just need your help."

Fred nodded as he listened to his friend. "Then you have it," he said, causing Jake to smile, something Fred was sure he hadn't done in a good long while as he returned his smile. "So how's Trixie?" he asked innocently, realizing it may have been the wrong thing to say as Jake's expression change rapidly.

"She's fine," he informed him. "She and Gregory are doing great from what I hear. _Very_ happy," he stressed. He then lowered his head and spoke softly. "One big happy family." He twisted his wedding band around his finger.

"Jake?" Fred reached out for him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "What happened?" he asked.

"My grandfather was right," Jake finally admitted. "I wasn't ready for marriage. I didn't understand the work that it required. I-" he felt his chest tighten. "I gave her everything she needed, and what she wanted was something I could have given, but wouldn't. And she left me for it."

"For Gregory?" Jake nodded at the question.

"When we were kids, people always praised him, even when he wasn't very good. I used to wipe the skies with him and never got more than a 'Good job'. I could never understand it, but now I do." Jake looked back up at Fred. "Things always came so easy to me, I didn't have to put a lot of effort into anything when it came to my abilities. But Greggy, he struggled. They praised him because he tried, because he gave it his all, even when it was hard. That's what made him better than me." Jake finally saw what the rest of his mother's side of the family saw. "And when it came to marriage, to my wife. . . I dropped the ball, I dropped her, but he was able to pick up the pieces and put them back together, when I refused to try."

Fred only listened as Jake poured out his heart about his cheating wife and why it was his own fault. Fred wanted to tell him it was okay, but knew they were only words at this point. Fred sighed as he thought about the other's situation. He honestly didn't know what he would do, if he ever found his girl cheating on him, but luckily, that was something he didn't have to worry about.

Fred yawned again, finally concluding that it was late and that he should finally start to head home, but his wings were aching and though it would be a good idea to rest them for a few minutes before starting the long trip in the opposite direction. He landed right in the middle of the street, with no fear of being seen as he changed back into his human form. Even if someone did see him, they would probably just convince themselves that they were tired and that they just really needed some sleep.

Fred jogged on over to the sidewalk before sticking his thumbs in his pockets and walking towards home. December, the start of the summer, Fred couldn't help but love this time of the year. The city always seem to come more alive during the warm summer months.

Suddenly, as Fred was thinking about nothing in particular, he heard a strange sound behind him. He didn't think much of it, but he slightly turned his head anyway, when he didn't hear the sound again, he simply continued his walk. But now he felt uneasy as he now heard the sound of footsteps that didn't seem to be his own. He quickly turned around, but once again saw nothing.

"Okay, old boy, you're losing it," he said softly to himself as he took a few more steps when he heard a trashcan fall over between an alleyway. His eyes quickly scanned the empty streets. He saw nothing but what was highlighted by the streetlights. "Show yourself!" he demanded loudly as he readied himself. He then saw a black cat jump from out of the alleyway. Fred chuckled to himself as he relaxed. He then went to turned around. He gasped as two figures appeared out of no where.

He had no time to react as he suddenly found himself on the ground. "Oh, hell yeah!" one cried out joyfully.

Fred let out a feral growl before bright yellow and orange flames blasted in every direction as he turned from human to dragon. "Let me out!" he struggled with the net that he had been surprised with. He scratched and clawed at it, but it made no difference. He even tried extending his wings, but the netting only seem to become tighter.

"Fight all you want," said the taller of the two figures dressed in matching outfits of red and black. "It only makes it easier for us when you wear yourself out."

The shorter one than pulled out a small cylinder like object with a spear like end. He held it in front of him and each side extended turning it into fully functioning spear. "I vote we slit his throat."

"That's not the plan," the other reminded him. "Hey!" he yelled out, but was ignored as he watched his partner stab the trapped dragon in their capture. "Eighty-eight, stop! That's not cool!"

"I just wanted to see it bleed," Eighty-eight face remained emotionless as he watched Fred take a hold of his arm, blood spilling from in between his claws.

Eighty-nine shivered, he hated when Eighty-eight went all psycho-like on him. He then walked over to him and stood next to him. "We have to take him back to the lair," Eighty-nine said calmly. "We can't question him if he's dead," he reasoned.

"Question me? For what?" Fred spoke.

Eighty-eight then spit in his face. "You filthy beast, don't speak to us." He then brought the spear head to his face and licked the blood that resided there. The 'Eww' expression on Eighty-nine's face did not go unnoticed by Fred.

"You're right," Eighty-eight replied to Eighty-nine's last statement. "We'll take him to the lair." His eyes did not leave the wound he had inflicted on the dragon in front of him.

"Who are you?" Fred demanded to know, anger clear in his eyes as he continued to struggle against the netting, as he wonder what it was made out of. It couldn't be sphinx hair, which rendered a dragon powerless, for he was in dragon form, but whatever it was it was strong and constricting with every movement.

"Fool, don't you know who we are?" Eighty-eight asked.

"Yeah, Dragon boy, you better recognize, and quickly, because we," Eighty-nine pointed to himself and then his companion, "_. . . are the best of the Huntsclan_."

To Be Continued. . .

* * *

**A/N:** Best of the Huntsclan? Eighty-eight and Eighty-nine? Yes, I know that's a little hard to shallow, but trust me, I'll make it work. 

Oh and for those who really didn't catch it as they were reading, Jake was born in June (but I think I only hinted that it was in the summer. Oh well!), Trixie in September, Jerry in January, and Spud was born in March. Just because I'm anal and I have to do my stories using a calender. :-(

--_Insert Shameless Self Plug Here_-- I got a new ADJL story out entitled, **No Good Deed**. It's a -wait for it- Trixie and Brad story. Now all I need is a Spud and Rose story (which is probably the only pairing I don't touch in this epic tale) and my madness will be complete. Mmwahaha!


	21. So Bright

**A/N:** Damn you, Homecoming, you jacked up my time line!

This chapter is dedicated to two people. First, SouthSideGirl, who gave me a brilliant idea and made me see that there was another pairing I hadn't touched on. And of course to Dannygirl7782, for pointing out my little boo-boo in the last chapter. . . which has been fixed.

* * *

Posted: June 16, 2007 

**Chapter Twenty-one: So Bright**

Number Eighty-nine smiled as he heard the sound of children around the corner as he walked down the hall. They gasped and looked almost frighten as the three of them practically ran into him, but seeing his kind smile relaxed them. "Sorry, Huntsman," said the eldest, who was about eleven years old.

"It's almost time for lights out," the sixteen year old, Eighty-nine, informed them. He watched as each nodded and made their way to their own respective quarters. Eighty-nine continued on his way down the hall. It had been almost five years since the Huntsclan that he knew had been wiped out by a single, blood red dragon. But what the dragon hadn't realized was that though he had basically wiped out anyone who had been an official member of the Huntsclan then, it did not effect those who had quit and those who were not old enough to enter the academy at the time.

New Huntsclan members were being born everyday. In fact, those who had a member of their family born with the purple dragon birthmark, whom had disappeared, didn't find it hard at all to hand over their children born with the mark. One instance stood out clearly in Eight-nine's mind as he remembered one mother who kissed her five year old daughter on the forehead tenderly before whispering, "You were born, with the same mark as my brother, Lexus," she informed her child as she touched the dragon on Lexus' neck. "He was taken away from us unjustly, and though I can do nothing, you can." The young child seem to understand completely. "Learn fast and learn well. Avenge my brother, and do our clan proud."

The little girl then stepped backwards until she gently ran into Eighty-nine who took both of her shoulders as she looked up at him. He gave her a reassuring smile before he then looked to her mother. "I knew your brother, he was my teacher," he admitted. "I'll make sure Lexus learns everything he taught me."

The mother rose back to her feet. She looked over Eighty-nine very carefully. "You're such a tiny thing." He cocked an eyebrow at such a demeaning comment. "How did you survive such unseen magic when one as powerful and as knowledgeable as my brother did not?" she asked.

Eighty-nine's head jerked as he heard the question. He then lowered his gaze from her, unable to answer her. "I hope you are through with your goodbyes, we leave for the Academy in five minutes," was all he said before walking away, Lexus at his heels. Eighty-nine knew very well why he and Eighty-eight had survived. . . and they spent everyday trying to make it up to their fallen brothers and sisters.

He sighed as he finally came to his quarters, ready to finally hit the sack after a very long night. His room was dark as he entered and closed the door behind him. He heard a creek from the corner. "Who's there?" he demanded, immediately drawing his weapon.

"Who else would be waiting for you?" came the voice, slightly irritated.

Eighty-nine instantly relaxed as he slightly turned and reached for the light switch. "Dammit, Eric!" he scowled at Eighty-eight. "You know I hate it when you do that."

Eric rose from the bed, he was dressed in his pajamas, as he made his way over to the other. "Come on, Kaden," he whispered. "You know that's not true, you like it when I wait for you." He stood close as he ran his fingers up Kaden's stomach and chest before reaching up and pulling off his mask. Kaden slightly shook his head as his brown curly hair came free.

Eric, being a few inches shorter, tilted his head up as he grabbed the back of Kaden's head and basically forced him into a kiss. Any other night, Kaden would had delighted in one of Eric's rare kisses, but tonight was a different story. "Stop!" Kaden pushed him away.

Eric looked at him curiously. "What?"

Kaden only shook his head as he sidestepped Eric and picked up his mask from the floor before walking over to his dresser. "I hate it when you get like this," he told him softly, his back to him.

"Get like what?" Eric didn't understand.

Kaden turned around. "Like this!" he gestured wildly with his hands. He then only stared at the other for moment. "You- you kind of scare me a little," he confessed, his neck turning a shade of red. "With your behavior," he clarified.

"My behavior?" Eric looked offended. "You've been acting weird since we caught that filth earlier," he pointed out. "All worried over someone who doesn't mean shit."

"That's not it!" Kaden defended himself. "We have to stick to the plan, if we don't-"

"What?" Eric interrupted him. "The world as we know it is going to end?" He stepped closer. "I don't know, if you've noticed, but that's already happened."

"You're too obsessed with the past," Kaden stated matter-of-factly. "You got to let it go. You're allowing it to eat at you and I don't like what it's leaving behind," he told him. "You're angry _all _the time, Eric, and when you're not, it's kind of like you're not there at all."

Eric didn't know what to say, but he knew one thing for sure, _he was angry_. "Don't you dare stand there and lecture me about the past!" he demanded of the other. "At least I have changed. You're still just a silly little boy, who doesn't realize what is expected of us!"

"Hey!" Kaden yelled back. "I know we're not children anymore, but that's no reason to start acting like an asshole!"

Eric looked hurt by the comment. "You- you think I'm a asshole?" His brow than furrowed. "I bet you think I'm a coward too, huh?"

Kaden looked at him curiously. "Where did that come from?" he asked softly, but Eric only shook his head as he lifted his hand, indicting that the conversation was done.

"I'm going to bed." He announced as he turned around and headed towards the door and opened it.

"Wait!" Kaden rushed to him and grabbed his hand as he was halfway through the door. "Stay with me tonight," he asked of him.

Eric turned his head and looked directly into Kaden's brown eyes. "What's the point?" was all he said before his hand slipped out of Kaden's and he disappeared down the hall.

OoOoO

Eric plopped down on his bed before turning his head and staring at the wall. "Have I really changed that much?" He couldn't help but to wonder out loud. But Kaden had been right, they weren't children anymore, after what happened with the Huntsclan several years ago, they were forced to grow up and grow up fast. They had to be each other's teacher as they learned of their history and why the Hunstclan had come to be. They had to teach each other to fight and to reply on each other. They had too, if they wanted a decent chance to rebuild what they once had. It had become very clear than that they didn't have time or the luxury for the childish things they used to do.

Then, when all seemed lost, _she_ came waltzing back into her lives. She had not been pleased with their cowardice and she voiced it out loud. Kaden, who was always just a little outspoken, told her she was no better than they were. She who had fallen in love with the enemy. "Maybe," she had began. "But when push came to shove, even after learning about my family, I stood by the Huntsclan. I didn't run off and quit like some scared little dog with my tail in between my legs." And with that statement the argument ended there.

But trust did not follow, Rose wanted them to demonstrate their loyalty and they wanted the same in return. Kaden, knowing he and Eric weren't full pledge members yet until they slayed a dragon, suggested that, not knowing that Rose, hadn't slain one either. Eric than suggested something he thought they could all agree on. He suggested the American Dragon, the one who had caused their downfall. He then turned to Rose waiting for her to object.

And object she did, saying that going after the American Dragon, would put an end to them before they began. He was a popular figure in the magical world, his death would not only cause unrest, but they would be seen as targets, and with their numbers so few, it just wasn't a bright idea. Eric and Rose glared at each other.

Kaden then suggested an alternative, that in turn would change the course of everyone's lives. "Then we target his family." Neither Eric nor Rose objected, though Rose did look on the verge, she said nothing.

And so they kidnapped his mother, Susan Long, but Eric had been careless, he had lost his phone. Not realizing it until Susan had made a desperate call to her son. "They're going to kill me!" were the last words she said to him, before Eric was able to take back what was his.

In the end, Rose had been faced with holding off two dragons, the American Dragon and his Dragon Master, while Kaden had been faced with fighting the tiny purplish/pink dragon by the name of Haley as she had made her way to where the American Dragon's mother had been kept.

It was a skilled fighter, that Eric would give it, but it was weak and small compared to the American Dragon they had faced before, Kaden held her off well. She was so distracted with getting passed Kaden, that she never noticed Eric's pretense, that is not until, "Haley!" yelled Susan. "Watch out!" But it was too late, Eric had taken her by surprise from behind and she was out like a light as she hit the waters of the sewers below her. "Haley!" Susan cried again, but received no answer.

Moments later, both Eric and Kaden stood before Susan in her tight little cage, their spears in hand. Eric shallowed hard, his hands sweaty as what he was about to do completely donned on him.

"Together, okay?" Kaden raised his spear and stuck it in between the bars of the cage and pointed it towards Susan's heart, who did not look at them as her eyes were still on the waters, waiting for Haley to resurface. Eric nodded at Kaden's words as he followed his lead. "Ready?" Kaden asked softly as he looked to his partner. Eric once again only nodded. "Now!" he shouted as the tip of his spear disappeared into the flesh of the woman before him.

"NOOOOOOO!" came the shriek of the tiny dragon.

"Haley," were Susan's last words, a small, sad smile on her face at the relief that her daughter was still alive before she closed her eyes and lowered her head to never wake again. The small dragon charged at them, tears in her eyes as she fought once more with Kaden with everything she had. Eric could do nothing but stand there as he looked upon the dead woman in front of him. His spear was still pointed towards her, but it remained clean, for at the last moment, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Retreat!" Eric's head whipped around as he heard the voice of Rose. The young boys did as they were told, knowing they would not be followed as they jumped on their Huntsclan motorcycles and sped off. . .

Eric groaned as he turned to his side and readjusted his pillow underneath his head. After that night, Kaden had refused to look at him for a week. When Eric finally cornered him and made him speak to him, he had not been prepared for the other's words. "You made me do it alone!" he cried. "Do you know what it is like to watch someone's life slip away and know you're the cause of it?" He shook his head. "No, of course you don't, because her eyes don't haunt your dreams."

"I'm sorry," was all Eric could say, not really able to look upon Kaden's face.

"Yeah," Kaden walked passed him, "you are."

Eric immediately sat up when he heard a knock from the other side of his door. "Who is it?" he called out.

"It's me," said none other than the formerly named Eighty-nine of the Huntsclan. "Are you going to open the door. Some of the cadets are still out and I don't want them to see me." Kaden was very shy about the type of relationship he had with his partner.

Eric debated whether are not he wanted to let him him. He then hopped off his bed as went to unlock his door. He opened it slightly and peered out to see Kaden, with his mask back on, outside. "What do you want?" he asked.

"What I said before," he began. "Maybe I overreacted," he offered. "Just a little. I mean, you were only trying to. . ." he trailed off before he nervously looked around. "Just let me in." Eric took pity on him as he finally stepped back and fully opened his door to the other. "You're not a coward," Kaden made a point of saying. "And I would never call you one," he assured him.

Eric walked back over to his bed and sat down, his shoulders were slumped over as he crossed his fingers and rested his arms on top of his legs. "I know," he replied. He then sighed. "Kaden, I don't mean to blow up the way I do. It's just, that sometimes. . . I think you see me as weak."

"_What?_" Kaden looked taken back as he rushed over to him. "No, never."

"But that first dragon, the one without the powers," he reminded him.

"Please, don't live in the past, Eric," Kaden urged him, sitting next to him and reaching out for his hand as the sound of young Huntsclan members could be heard out in the hall, "when our future. . . _is so bright_."

To Be Continued. . .

* * *

**A/N**: You know you love them. Don't deny it. If they have actual names, please let me know. If not, Eric and Kaden it is. :-D 

Also please note, that the 40 chapters for this story is just a rough estimate.


	22. Broken

Posted: June 21, 2007

**Chapter Twenty-two: Broken**

Eric, better known as Eighty-eight, took a deep breath as his arm stretched across his bed. He frowned as the only thing that came in contact with his fingers were the sheets itself. He yawned as he opened his eyes and set up within his bed. His frown deepen as he realized he was alone within his quarters. "Kaden?" he called out nonetheless to Eighty-nine.

"Yeah?" was the response he received as he turned his head and saw Kaden step out of his private bathroom.

Eric then reached for his alarm clock, which was above his bed on a self. "Yo, you have got to be kidding me," he said irritated as he saw it was a little pass five-thirty in the morning. "The sun isn't even up yet," he informed the other.

"I have things to do," Kaden told him as he tried to find his clothes, which littered the floor along side Eric's.

"Like what?" Eric demanded to know.

"Well, for one thing," he began, as he slipped on his pants, well aware of the way the other watched him. "I have to finish up my lesson plan for the day. My class starts at seven."

Eric let out a light chuckle. "No wonder your students walk around like the living dead." He laid back down on his bed and tucked his hands under his head.

"And what time do you meet with your students?" Kaden asked.

"A little before noon. No reason teaching, if they aren't awake for the lesson," Eric pointed out.

"I suppose you have a point," Kaden replied. "Maybe I should rethink my lesson time." He found his shirt and slipped it on before starting with the bottom button and working his way up. "So what are you teaching today?" he inquired.

"A few of the younger cadets have never seen a dragon up close. I'm taking them down to the dungeon and showing them the one we caught last night," he explained. "You know, point out the weakest parts and maybe a little demonstration."

"Demonstration?" Kaden's fingers paused at one of his buttons as his face paled a little. "Your youngest cadets are five, you don't want to traumatize them." He quickly recovered.

"He's in a cage, man. Besides, the younger they are when they're exposed to them, the less afraid they will be later on." He then chuckled again. "I mean, do you remember the first time we ran up on a pair of dragons?"

Kaden laughed along with him. "We ran around like chickens with our head's cut off," he remembered.

Eric's smile soon faded. "Dragons are more dangerous than they used to be. We were captured so easily. The cadets need to be prepared," he said seriously.

Kaden nodded his head to agree before he made his way back over to the bed. He bent down, a ghost of a smile on his lips as Eric etched his head up to meet him. "Whoa!" Kaden suddenly yelled out in surprised as Eric had quickly wrapped his arms around him and brought him back down onto the bed.

"Now, I don't know why you got dressed," Eric wondered out loud. "When you knew I wasn't going to let you leave this room," he informed him as he placed himself on top. Kaden then reached up and cupped Eric's face in his hand before he gently pressed his lips against his. Eric seemed to visibly relax with the gesture. The taller of the two then heard the last words he ever thought he would hear from the other boy. "I love you. . ." Eric confessed softly as he looked into Kaden's eyes, which had grown wide.

"I- uh," he stumbled, now unable to keep eye contact. "Wow, um. . . Eric, I- you know- Oh, boy." He chuckled nervously.

Eric slightly shook his head as Kaden struggled with his words. "You know what? Forget what I said," he finally told him as he got up. "It's not that big of a deal anyway," he tried to brush it off.

"Eric, wait. You're my best friend, you know that," Kaden began as he rose out of bed as well. "But we've talked about this. _This_." He pointed back and forth between them. "You know this can't work," he told him. "Not like this."

"And tell me why again," Eric crossed his arms over his chest. "Because I love hearing it."

"Well, because," Kaden stood a little straighter, "I'm not gay."

"Uh-huh," Eric replied sceptically. "And what we did last night, or for the first time last month, what would you call that?" he asked of him, anger lining his words.

"Hormones," was his simple response.

Eric stared at him for a beat, his mouth slightly opened at the disbelief of the other's deep, _deep_ denial. "You uptight, motherfu- Get out!" he yelled out of frustration.

"Eighty-"

"Out!" he demanded again, not believing the balls he had to began addressing him by his codename.

"Fine!" Kaden yelled back before marching towards the door, where he slammed it shut behind him.

"Ahhh!" Eric screamed, before reaching for the nearest object and throwing it towards the closed door. Kaden slightly jumped as he heard the sound of shattering glass. "You homophobe!" Were the last words Kaden heard before making his way down the hall, hoping no one saw him coming out of Eric's quarters.

OoOoO

It was nearing nine as Eric looked at his alarm clock. After Kaden left he felt a little light headed and decided it was probably best to go back to bed for a few hours, but sleep did not return to him. He honestly didn't know why he put up with Kaden the way he did, who had been denying what Eric knew he felt since the beginning. And although things had progress since then, Kaden still refused to give into the fact that maybe he just wasn't into girls. Eric was about to turn back over and dwell on the faults of his partner, who would never consider him his 'partner', when he heard knocking on his door. "What?" he barked out.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Huntsman, but the Huntsqueen wishes to see you," informed the child.

"Tell her I'm on my way," he replied as he got out of bed.

"Yes, sir!" was heard before the sound of running hit Eric's ears.

He then took a quick shower before dressing in Huntsclan attire. He then made his way down the hall and to the elevator where he stepped inside. "Destination," spoke a computerized voice.

"War Room," he said holding on the rail as he went down. When the door opened he looked up and realized he hadn't reached his floor yet. Several of the older students, ranging from eleven to twelve, entered the elevator. "Morning, cadets," Eric greeted him, his voice authoritative.

"Morning, Huntsman Number Two," the four said together.

Eric than eyed them curiously as the elevator once again asked for a destination and one of the them gave the same answer he had. Eric then realized he didn't recognized them. "Were you all recruited by Number One. You're all his students?" he asked.

Three of them nodded, indicating that he was right. "I was recruited and trained by the Huntsqueen herself," one said proudly, almost as if she were better than everyone around her. "Ranked first in the school. I'm Cadet Number One."

"You're real proud of that, aren't you?" said the only other female cadet among them. "Of course, the Huntsqueen, was going to pick one of her _own_ students to be Number One. It means nothing more than that you were the biggest suck up in your class. Because I'm Cadet Number Forty-two, but it ain't nothing but a number, because I'm sure I could still kick your ass," Number Forty-two said with a smirk.

Number One growled as she took a step towards the other cadet. She gasp slightly, when a hand found her shoulder. She looked up to see Eric, who said nothing, but shot the two a warning look. As Eric took back his hand, he wondered why female Huntsclan members were always the aggressor. He rolled his eyes as he thought, _This is why I stick to boys_.

Then to his relief the elevator finally stopped. "Entering War Room: Voice Authorization Password Required," the computer spoke.

"Purple Dragon," Eric spoke and the doors slid open. As they entered a long rectangular table that sat sixteen. At the end of the table sat Rose, better known as Huntsqueen. She stood as the five man party entered the room. "You summoned us?" he spoke.

"Yes," she replied. "Please, sit." Eric sat on the opposite end, while the the cadets sat between. Numbers One and Forty-two also sat opposite of each other.

"I have gathered you all together for a very important mission." Rose raised her scepter, taken before the Academy was reopened by her, Eric, and Kaden, when they took down a very powerful wizard. She continued to speak as a huge screen lowered from the ceiling. "This mission calls for sheath and discretion, which means nothing said here will leave this room. Understood?" she asked and was satisfied with their nodding heads. "Good."

"I believe that we may have a traitor amongst our ranks. This person must be found and brought back to the Academy immediately," she informed them.

"Do you wish for the traitor to be killed?" asked one the male cadets.

"No, Number Twenty-four, he must be brought back alive." Rose gave a soft sigh. "Even traitors have the the right to tell their side of the story."

"Huntsqueen," Eric called to her. "I have no problem with this mission, but shouldn't we wait for everyone to get here before you go into more detail?" he wondered.

"This will be the mission party, Number Two," she told him.

"Number One has been my partner for years, and though I could do this without him, his input maybe valuable on something of this importance," he let his opinion be known.

"Any other time I would agree with you, but I need you to do this without Number One," she asked of him.

Eric frowned. "Why?" he asked.

Rose said nothing at first as she turned around and waved her scepter across the screen. "This is why." The lights dimmed in the room as an image of the dungeon appeared on the screen.

In a small cage laid a handsome blonde headed boy about nineteen years of age by the name of Fred Nerk. Everyone in the War Room watched with extreme concentration as Fred picked up his head at the sound of the dungeon door coming open. "You shouldn't be here," Fred warned to a figure in the shadows.

"I had to see how you were." Eric gasp so loudly that it was heard by everyone in the room, but no one turned to look at him as the realization of whom he had heard donned on him. "I swear, I didn't know he was going to stab you." Kaden got down on his knees and reached into the cage, but Fred turned from his touch. "Fred. . . please."

"You should have told me. I trusted you," Fred began. "And you said nothing."

Kaden held on to the bars as he rested his head against them. "I know, and I'm sorry, but please, understand, if I told you I was Huntsclan. . ." he shook his head back and forth slowly. "I would have lost you." He looked back into the cage. "And I couldn't risk that."

"What does the Huntsclan want with me?" Fred wanted to know, ignoring the other's apology.

"It's not you that they want, but someone you know. Someone the Huntsqueen needs to keep tabs on," he explained.

"Who?" Fred asked.

"Who else?" Kaden thought the answer was obvious. "The American Dragon."

"Sorry, never met him," he lied.

Kaden narrowed his eyes. "You fool!" he barked suddenly. "They will kill you, if you don't give them what they want!" He then took a moment to calm himself. "Just tell the truth and I will do all I can to make sure you get out of this alive," he promised.

"Or," Fred placed his hand on over Kaden's, which was still wrapped around the bar. "You can help me escape, before they question me at all."

Kaden shook his head. "And what if I was found out?"

"Then come with me," Fred suggested. "Throw yourself at the mercy of the World Dragon Council, they will protect you. And all you would have to do is give the names of those within the Huntsclan."

Kaden only looked at him. "Betray my clan. . . my family?" That didn't sit too well with him. "I can't do that."

"I know that seems hard, to betray everything you've ever known, but in your heart you know you don't hate the Magical World. You can't help, what you have been born into, but the choices you make are your own. I just hope it's the right one," Fred asked of him.

The fabric of Kaden's mask became wet underneath his eyes. "My life doesn't allow me a lot of choices, Fred, but of the ones I have been able to make, I know you were the right one. So I will have faith, and do what needs to be done."

The Australian Dragon smiled at his words, who gave him one in return. "I promise, you will see, this is the right thing."

"And even if it isn't, I do it anyway," Kaden told him.

"Why?" Fred asked.

"Because I love you," came the whisper from Kaden's lips.

Eric felt his chest tighten as he continued to watch the screen. He then suddenly found it a little harder to breathe. Then a moment later, found he had completely forgotten how to as he watched both Kaden and Fred lean into each other to share a kiss. The kiss was tender and heartfelt. A kiss Eric knew Kaden had never shared with him.

It was then that Eric noticed the date and time in the corner of the recording. It was a little pass midnight, that morning. He had been waiting in Kaden's room at that time, like some lovelorn idiot. Then things had ended up in his room where he and Kaden. . . for the second time that day, Eric felt light headed, as he finally saw the truth. Kaden had never been in denial about his sexuality. . . and that maybe what he thought was a relationship was nothing but a lie.

Then as Fred told the dragon slayer, who was three years his junior, that he loved him as well, Eric lost it. "Lies! That's not Kaden!" He stood from his chair and yelled. "Turn this shit off!" he demanded. "You." He directed his attention towards Rose. "What the hell are you playing at?" he asked her.

"This isn't a game, Huntsman," she told him. "And this footage is no lie. I mean, do you really think I want to believe that one of our own could do this. . . repeat the same mistake I made?" She turned back towards the screen to see the dragon and the dragon slayer, born enemies, defy the logic that bound them. "I know how close you and he are," she regarded Eric. "That's why you're need on this mission. He's more likely to let his guard down around you." Rose than made her point quite clear. "He needs to be brought in, and short of death, by any means necessary."

"I'm sorry," Eric stepped away from the table. "But I can not take a part in this," he told her as he made his way to the elevator. It opened and he stepped inside.

"Destination," came the computerized voice, but it went unheard my the one who stood inside. Eric stared at the ground, but all his mind could see and hear were Kaden as he confessed his love to someone who wasn't him and as it got louder and louder, Eric's heart arched more and more until suddenly, it didn't hurt at all. For it had done the only thing it could when surrounded by so much pain. . . _it had broken_.

To Be Continued. . .

* * *

**A/N: **Well, it seems my Rose storyline has taken a backseat to my unexpected 88/89 storyline. . . sorry. But don't worry, the current storyline is leading into the Rose one. I promise.

I was going to do the unthinkable. I was going to have Eric and Kaden have a _healthy_ relationship, which is something I've never written before. I then realized. . .

I COULDN'T DO IT! -_Cries like a baby_- I'M SORRY!

Hmm, I got the Hit love, the Fav love, and the Alert love, but I can't get the Review love? The only reason I can think why not, is that I'm producing the chapters too fast. Three chapters in ten days is kind of a lot, huh?


	23. The Trusted

A/N: Happy Birthday, Southsidegirl!

* * *

Posted: October 30, 2007 

**Chapter Twenty-three: The Trusted**

Rose, better known as Huntsqueen, laid quietly in her bed within her quarters. Eric had not taken the news about Kaden very well, but it was better than expected. Betrayal of any kind in a relationship that was already fragile did a lot of damage, but one on the scale of Kaden's, well Rose was no stranger to it.

The Huntsqueen then rolled onto her side as she reached for the drawer handle of her night stand. Inside was a picture taken what seemed a lifetime ago. She smiled sadly as she looked upon the picture of her and Jake taken at their school dance back when they were in middle school. She knew she should have disposed of it long ago, but she just couldn't bring herself to do.

Her relationship with Jake had made her weak. Because of him she had questioned everything she had ever known and ever trusted. Sure, the Huntsmaster, who had raised her, had unwillingly taken her from her parents, but they were Huntsclan members as well, who had betrayed the clan. The Huntsmaster had taken her before her parents could taint her mind, but it was already too late, it was already in her blood.

When she had recovered all her memory, and everything hit her, it hit her hard. She would never see the Huntmaster again and that sadden her. Sure, he was a strict dictator, but there was a side to him many never saw. He was a father. He was the one who had tucked her in at night, and read her bedtime stories when she was child. He was the one who kissed her boo boos when she fell and scraped her knee. He was the one who taught her how to hold a spear and how to strike with precision. And though he may have never said it, he loved her just as much as any father could love their child. And though Rose realized he was only her uncle, in her heart, he was her father and Jake had taken that away from her.

She had had a family. It had always been there and though it was not ideal, it was hers. But Jake had made her confused. Made her question if she knew right from wrong and because of it, she lost everything. . . even her own identity. But she was making amends. The new Huntsclan, under her rule, would be the strongest in their history. She had to pull Kaden back in and make him see the errors of his way through the eyes of one who had walked the same path and had lost so much.

Rose sighed as she put the photo away. She still cared for him; he still made her weak, but she would not allow that weakness to get in the way of what was destine of her. She would destroy the magical world in the name of her uncle. . . even if that meant the demise of the one she once loved. But as always, that always seemed easier said than done.

There soon came a knock at her door and she told the person to enter. "You wanted to see me?" Eric didn't make eye contact as he closed the door behind him.

"Yes," Rose nodded her head. "Please, sit." She indicated a chair near the fireplace as she rose and took a seat across from where he eventually sat. "I know this is hard for you," she began. "But I need you to be level headed on this, Eric. I know you and Kaden are partners in more than just one sense." Eric looked at her a little wide eyes. Rose gently smiled at the expression. "It's the way you look at him. I know love when I see it." It was the way Jake used to look at her.

Eric shoulders fell with her statement. "Then I guess you only ever saw it coming from me." Rose said nothing, which proved Eric's statement true. "I just thought, if I just gave him time, he would eventually see me the way I saw him," he sounded as if he had already been defeated. "But somehow I always knew that time was never the problem."

Rose looked at the one she had named her Huntsman sympathetically. "Kaden, right now, is lost. The lore of a dragon is strong. Their words can be intoxicating. They have a way of getting into your head and taking a hold of your heart. He's being tricked. The Australian Dragon will use the hold he has on him to get him to do whatever he wants. So as long as Kaden in out there, our clan is in danger." Eric looked as though he understood.

"I know," he whispered, closing in his eyes. "So, what you're basically saying is, he's under some kind of spell. Can it be broken?" he asked, a light of hope burning within his rich brown eyes.

Rose thought of the photo in her drawer that she had tried to burn on several occasions, never once succeeding. "No," she told him truthfully. "Even if he comes back to us, a part of him will always be connected to the dragon who marked him." Eric opened his mouth to speak, but his words died in his throat. "I know what you want to say," she began. "And there's only one answer. . . and it's you. Bring him home, Eric."

Eric, finally understanding what was needed of him simply nodded before standing up slowly. Rose quietly followed him over to the door, where she couldn't help but notice the way the boy carried himself. In her eyes, Eric had always been the confident one, the outspoken one, and to see him in such a state pained her. "Eric?" she whispered as he had taken a hold of the door handle.

"Yes?" he responded before finding himself engulfed in his leader's arms as she hugged him tightly. Eric was surprised by the gesture. "It's going to be alright," she assured him before his expression relaxed and he buried his face into her as he wrapped his arms around her and returned her hug. He exhale, comforted by her words, if only just a little.

OoOoO

Kaden stared out the window. He was far outside the limits of the city as Fred had taken him to a safe house deep in the middle of nowhere. Right now, Fred was where he had been for the last two days, in the other room peacefully sleeping as he recovered from the wound Eric had inflicted upon him. He was running a bit of a fever as being locked in a damp and darken dungeon hadn't helped. Kaden had draped a cool towel over his head and replaced it ever so often hoping it would help.

"What in the world am I doing?" Kaden asked himself as he leaned his head against the window. His stomach churned and twist as it hit him what he had done. He had left the Academy without informing anyone, but why would he, since he was helping the blonde in the next room to escape? That whole morning was now just a big blur, he wasn't quite sure how he had escaped the compound without being noticed.

But what he did know, was if they hadn't noticed his absence then, that they did now, especially sense they would have quickly noticed the absence of their prisoner and put two and two together. He knew officially that he was a fugitive in their eyes and that he would be hunted. It was only a matter a time before they found out where he was.

He and Fred had already been in one place for far too long. Kaden had taught his students when trying to escape from the enemy. . . _enemy. _Kaden's shoulders fell as the word echoed in his head as he realized that's what they were now. The enemy.

Kaden then closed the curtains of the window before heading towards the bedroom of the cabin. He walked quickly as he was anxious above anything. Every fiber of his being burned for him to do was was drilled into him._They couldn't stay_. He had taught his students well, and though he had trust in his own ability, he no longer had Huntsclan resources. He was cut off and alone, but he had chosen that path.

He swung the bedroom door open and like a wave from the ocean he was calmed, and remembered why he had fought the feeling to flee for the last two days. Fred suddenly went into a coughing fit, Kaden rushed to his side handing him a glass of water from the nightstand. Fred breathed heavily once his coughing had stopped. His eyes were hooded as he smiled weakly at the brown haired boy by his side. He wasn't getting any better and both of them knew it. "I'm fine," came the lie from Fred's pale lips.

Kaden picked up the wet towel that had slipped off Fred's forehead during his fit. He dipped the cloth into a bowl next to him before wringing it out and placing it back on Fred's forehead. "It's dangerous here," Kaden let be known. "Staying in one place too long, as we've done, is bound to get us caught. The Huntsclan will hunt us down," he explained.

"Even if they find us," Fred spoke with his eyes closed, "they can't see us. I had my animal guardian put up barriers around this place years ago for emergencies."

"Animal guardian?" Kaden was baffled by the term.

Fred nodded. "It's exactly what it sounds like. An animal companion who looks out for me."

"How come you never mention it before? Where is it now?" Kaden wondered.

"Never had a reason to mention her before. She's an independent little thing; as stubborn as they come." He smiled at the thought of her. "She mostly goes off and does her own thing. I never question her, I don't feel the need to, she always comes home. In fact, she'll be here soon," He seemed assured of that fact and feeling the curious look on Kaden's face he answered the boy's question before he could ask it. "I check in with her every few days. I miss my last check in, so she'll come looking for me. This cabin is always the first place."

"What's her name?"

"Yan Yan, but I call her Yani." Fred then began to cough again, more violent than the last. "I'm so tired," he admitted when he settled down.

"Than you should rest." Fred nodded at Kaden's suggestion before turning over to go back to sleep, he cringed in pain for a moment before his features once again relaxed. Kaden sighed silently at the sight of it before getting up and softly closing the door behind himself.

OoOoO

Kaden had fallen asleep on the couch when he felt a slight weight land on his chest. He opened his eyes and nearly jumped out of his skin when his vision cleared and he saw purple piercing eyes staring into his own. "Where is my boy?" demanded the female voice.

"Are you Yani?" Kaden asked the pink hairless cat.

"How dare you address me so familiarly?" she was outraged. "You will call me Ms. Yan Yan," she made clear. "Now, do not make me repeat my first question." Her claws seem to shimmer in the soft light.

"He's in the bedroom." Yan Yan immediately jumped off his chest and made her way to the cabin bedroom. The cabin, knowing who she was, opened on its own accord as it sensed her approach.

Kaden followed her, her steps were quick and graceful. He stood in the doorway as he watched Yan Yan jumped onto the bed to take a closer look at her charge. "I should have come sooner." Her paw gently touched his sleeping form. She then quickly whipped her head around. "Who are you?" she asked the former Huntsclan member.

"My name is Kaden," he replied.

Yan Yan's expression towards him soften as she learned his name. "I know that name. My boy here is very fond you. You have made him very happy," she confessed, causing a smile to appear on the younger boy's face.

"Know that it's not one sided." Yan Yan nodded at his words.

"What happened to him?" she asked.

"He was captured by the Huntsclan and stabbed by one of the members. He was locked up for a while before we had a chance to escape. I think his wound is infected. He's sick and he needs help. I'm afraid to move him, but I'm also afraid that staying in one spot too long isn't smart."

"This is the safest place for now." Yan Yan looked upon the blonde's innocent looking face. "The barriers I put up are of old magic, no one but the trusted can see this cabin." Yan Yan rubbed her face up against Fred sadly. "Be strong for me little one," she murmured to him before straightening up.

"Only the trusted?" Kaden questioned.

"Like I said," Yan Yan jumped off the bed and began to walk passed him, "he's very fond of you." She than made her way down the hall, when she noticed she wasn't being followed she slightly turned her head. "Well, just don't stand there," she barked. "If we want him to get better, there's a potion I must make, and unfortunately I need help."

"You do?" Kaden asked in disbelief as he fell into step.

"Yes," Yan Yan sighed. "If it had been some curse, I could do it myself, in my sleep," she added. "But weapons made by man, are a little more than tricky."

"Is- is he going to be alright?" Kaden voice shook as they arrived in the kitchen and the light automatically switched on. Yan Yan ignored him for a minute as she jumped from a stool onto the counter. She opened the cupboard and quickly went through the ingredients. "Those weren't there before," Kaden pointed out.

"Fred may trust you," she began as she put aside a small jar labeled, 'Eye of Newt' and another labeled, 'Howlet's Wing', "but the cabin does not."

Silence fell over the pair as Yan Yan finished gathering the supplies she needed. As she brewed the potion that she hoped would spare Fred's life she gave short, exact instructions to Kaden, who followed her direction without question or hesitation.

"Finished," Yan Yan announced happily after nearly five long hours of work. Kaden slumped tiredly into the nearest chair, wiping away the sweat that had gather on his forehead. "He's going to be alright," Yan Yan finally answered the questioned Kaden had asked several hours before as she poured her concoction into the nearest container before capping a lid on it. "Here," she tossed it over to Kaden who easily caught it. "I have to clean this up quickly, or it becomes poisonous," she explained. "Pour a drop onto his wound and have him drink the rest."

Kaden eyes widen at the thought of giving Fred poison. "But I thought you just said-"

"Now!" Yan Yan yelled causing Kaden to drop his question and hurry about his task.

He made it as far as the living room, when he noticed something out of place. The front door had been left opened, which he thought was strange since he could have sworn it was closed when he and Yan Yan went into the kitchen.

Kaden narrowed his eyes as he slowly looked around the room. It was dark and the cabin was filled with many shadows. "Who's here?" His voice was deep and intimating. "Show yourself." Instead of an answer, Kaden was kicked in the back, the potion he held in his hands went flying into the air before it landed, hard, on the floor where it joined Kaden.

Kaden grunted as he was kicked in the side and forced onto his back. He then felt the point of a spear at his neck before his breath became stuck in his throat. The person over him still remain shrouded in the shadows. "Who-" his throat was nicked as he spoke, "who are you?" he asked.

"Who do you think I am?" came the voice, dark and fearless. Kaden's eyes widened as he recognized the voice.

"No, impossible!" Yan Yan's voice was heard from the other side of the room.

"Eric," Kaden whispered as Eric leaned forward revealing his eyes, which for the first time in Kaden's memory held no love for him. It was then that Kaden realized that though he knew he would be hunted, he never expected that Eric would be the one on his trail, because for Kaden, even after the incident with the American Dragon's mother, Eric had always been. . ._the trusted_.

To Be Continued. . .


	24. With the Devil

Posted: February 7, 2008

**Chapter Twenty-four: With the Devil**

Kaden held his breath as he stared into the eyes of his former comrade. The young Huntsclan cadets could feel the tension all around them as the once friends realized that they were on opposite sides of a war that was older than all of them put together. The eerie silence seem to stretch on for days until Eric finally decided to speak. "You betrayed me," his voice was nothing more than a whisper, but in a room so still, it felt like a thunderous boom to the ears of those around him.

"I never meant to hurt to you," Kaden's voice was just as soft.

"I don't blame you," Eric admitted, causing Kaden's eyes to widen in surprise. Eric then cringed as he sounded more emotional than he meant to. Kaden than watched as Eric eye's once again grew cold. Eric knew what he had to do, he had to make an example out of Kaden, and he knew exactly how to do it. "Number One," Eric spoke and Number One turned her head towards the Huntsman. "Hold him down," he instructed.

"Yes, sir," she walked over, a smirk in her eyes as she had been trusted with the task over the others. She pointed her spear downward and took her place as Eric lifted his own.

The dark skinned boy said nothing as he walked out of the room and disappeared from everyone's sight. A moment later, there was a burst of green light accompanied by a devastating boom that rattled the whole cabin. A split second later, his voice was heard, "Let him sit up." Number One frowned at the idea, but did what she was told as she took a step back and slowly let him rise.

Kaden gasped as he watched Eric drag Fred across the floor by the collar. "Let him go," he demanded at the sight.

"As you wish," Eric gladly obeyed as he let Fred drop like a rock. "This is who I blame," he made clear before kicking Fred on to his stomach, who cringed in pain. Eric twirled his spear before sinking it down into Fred's still opened wound. Fred yelled out in pain as he grabbed the spear with both hands trying to pull it out, but it was unless in his weaken state.

But Fred's screams weren't the only ones that pierced through the night air, as they were accompanied by Kaden's, who sounded as if he were the one being stabbed. "Leave him alone!" Kaden cried out. "You'll kill him!" He went to stand, but the moment he tried he felt the tip of Number One's spear at this chest. He gave a low growl as his dark eyes looked into hers. The stare was so intense that Number One couldn't help but to gasp sharply as she slightly flinched at the murderous intent that was directed towards her.

"That was kind of the point," Kaden's eyes went back to Eric as he spoke. "This filth, has done a number on your head and I'm sure that once he's dead, you'll begin to think clearly."

At that Kaden scoffed causing Eric to look at him curiously. "You're all talk, you know that?" Eric narrowed his eyes as the other continued. "Let's not forget who, out of the two of us, was given the higher title. Whose hands have actually been stained with another's blood," he laid down the facts. "Because I don't know about you, but I'll never forget that when push came to shove, you just weren't man enough." Eric lowered his gaze as he heard the truth. "Pretend all you like, but I am the only true slayer in this room!" Kaden roared, as without warning, he grabbed Number One's spear by the handle and yanked it towards himself and to the side, causing the young cadet to lose her balance before she fell to the ground, her weapon now in the enemy's hold.

Kaden pointed the spear towards Eric, who eyes had grown wide as a green blast came barreling towards him. Being agile, Eric quickly flipped backwards, his feet touching down on the wall before he sprung towards Kaden, colliding into him roughly. Kaden dropped the spear as he and Eric went rolling across the floor.

They landed with Kaden on top, who drew back his fist and struck Eric across the face. Number One, who finally recovered from her fall looked towards the other three cadets. "Shoot him!" she ordered before cringing and grabbing her ankle. Her fall had been anything but graceful as she realized it was sprung. The remaining cadets, seem to snap out of whatever daze they were in, when they heard her words, for they had been amazed that the Huntsmen in front of them, who once would have died for each other, were now coming to blows.

Number Twenty-four was the first to react as he aimed his weapon at Kaden, who had been overpowered as he was now on the receiving end of an assault. Number Twenty-four watched carefully as he waited for an clear shot. "Seventeen!" he yelled at the other male cadet and made a head motion towards Number One.

Number Seventeen, understanding the silent command, ran over to his fallen comrade, sliding to his knees as he took off his backpack and pulled how a first aid kit.

Yan Yan, who with luck, had gone unnoticed by the intruders, quickly dashed across the room where she recovered, with her mouth, the bottle Kaden had been forced to drop and made her way over to Fred. Once by his side, she opened and applied the potion before placing the container against his mouth. "Drink quickly, little one," she begged as she lifted his head and forced the liquid down his throat. She didn't know how much longer Kaden could hold out as Forty-two had joined the fight with he and Eric.

Nothing else mattered to Yan Yan as she watched her boy, praying that the potion she slaved over worked and that he would open his eyes and see her. Her praying seem to help as she finally saw Fred's deep blue orbs, his wound was now almost completely healed. "Ya- Yani," he breathed and reached out to scratched her behind the ear with a smile on his lips.

"Kill it!" Fred suddenly heard, but before he had time to register what was actually said, a bright green blast flew passed his head and hit Yan Yan, a sickening crack was heard as her small, frail body hit the wall.

Fred quickly sat up, ignoring the pain that still electrified his body as he looked at Yan Yan's limp body slide to the floor, her purple eyes open, but with no sign of life within them. Tears wield in his eyes as he realized his beloved guardian was no longer apart of this world.

"You bastards!" His scream was raw and feral, sounding more like a vicious animal than anything a human could make. Orange and yellow flames circled around him as he turned into his dragon form. He took a deep breath before blowing fire in every direction, not caring what was in the way. . . not even Kaden, as he had been blinded by his anger and his lost.

As the flames came racing towards them, each person took evasive action. Number Seventeen, dropped everything before scooping Number One in his arms, bridal style, and moving her out of danger. Number Twenty-four twirled his spear rapidly, dispensing the flames and making them harmless.

Number Forty-two, who was the quickest on her feet, ran towards the flames before jumping clear over them as she reached for her utility belt. Meanwhile, Eric and Kaden, who had been fighting until they heard Fred's scream, suddenly felt an overwhelming heat wash over them. "Get down!" Eric yelled, pushing Kaden to the ground with him. "Shield!" he yelled, activating a small transparent barrier around them.

Each breathed heavily as they found themselves in very close proximity. "Eric," Kaden whispered. Eric turned his eyes away as they both realized what he had just done. He had saved him. But then again how could he not? The Huntsqueen wanted him alive. He was only following orders. "Eric," Kaden repeated just as softly, causing the other to look at him again. Kaden smiled before he tilted his head up and his lips brushed against Eric's.

Eric eyes had grown wide at the strange gesture. What if the cadets saw them? But how could they as the cabin had been set on fire and black smoke surrounded them? He was toying with him! He was only trying to buy time. Time Eric would not allow him to have. Eric quickly sat up and decked Kaden across the face, blood flew out of his mouth with the motion. Eric then reached for the blade he kept around his ankle and stabbed Kaden's shoulder, causing him to scream. "Don't play with me!" Eric demanded before lowering his shield and allowing the black smoke to engulf them. "Cadets!" he yelled, unable to see them. "Sound off!"

"One!" Number One yelled out, before she was followed by the others.

"Seventeen!"

"Twenty-four!"

"Forty-two!"

Eric nodded as they were all accounted for. "Where's my dragon?" He wanted to know.

"I got him, sir!" He heard Number Forty-two.

As the smoke and flames began to die down Eric was able to see that Number Forty-two had caught Fred in one of her nets. He smirked at the sight. "Good job, cadet." And as Number Forty-two beamed at the recognition, Number One frowned. "Come here and watch this traitor."

"Yes, sir," she quickly made her way to take his place as Eric, who was now walking with a slight limp, took his time making his way over to the dragon, picking up Number One's fallen spear as he did so.

Fred gave Eric a dirty look as he stood over him. "How does it feel, knowing I'll be the last face you'll ever see?" he asked, his tone revealing his joy at the situation.

"Fuck you," was Fred's only reply.

Eric placed the spear tip on Fred, as he was still in his dragon from. "You heal quickly I see," he commented. "This time I won't give you the chance to recover. He aimed for the soft underbelly of his captive, knowing that striking here would result in a clean slay. He then rose his spear ready to make his, long overdue, first kill. Fred struggled against the netting, knowing it was a lost cause, but if tonight would be his last night, he would go down fighting.

Eric began to make a downward motion with his spear. "Stop, please!" came Kaden's voice from the other side of the room. He was on his knees, his hand covering his bleeding shoulder, which he could no longer feel. "I'll do whatever you want. _Anything!_ Just leave him alone. Please," his voice was scared and desperate. "Eric," he called his name.

"You are to come back to the Huntsclan."

"I'll come back, but only if he's alive," he gave his condition.

"You will also have no more contact with this- this thing," he indicated Fred.

Kaden went to agree, but hesitated before looking at Fred, who looked at him longingly. Catching this, Eric stomped down on Fred's underbelly, causing Fred to curse loudly at him. Eric raised his spear again. "Okay! Okay!" Kaden yelled out. "I'll never see him again. I promise." Tears fell down his eyes.

"Then we are agreed." Eric safely lowered his spear to the ground. "Let's go home," he spoke to his cadets.

Eric watched as Number Forty-two placed a hand on Kaden's shoulder before reaching for her utility belt with her free hand, they both than disappeared. Eric then looked to Number Twenty-four, who nodded before pressing the button on his on utility belt and disappearing as well. Number Seventeen held Number One just a little tighter as she reached for her belt and they vanished from Eric's sight.

Eric once again looked down at Fred. "Know it's only out of respect, for the friendship that Kaden and I used to have, that your life is being spared, but if we ever come across each others path again, there will be no mercy for you," he made clear and was surprised to hear the other laugh.

"Kaden was right," he began. "You're just not man enough."

Eric frowned deeply before he cried out, lifting his spear and driving it into the underbelly of the dragon at his feet. Blood splattered everywhere. "At least I am a man," were the last words Fred heard before he took his last breath and his eyes closed forever. "So much for a clean slay," Eric thought out loud before reaching for his belt and heading home.

The four cadets waited patiently for their leader to return at the Transport Station located within the academy. The transporter than began to hum before a orange light engulfed the room and Eric appeared before them. Each of them looked a little surprised to see him covered in blood. "Huntsman," Number Seventeen called out as he quickly made his way towards him. "Are you injured?"

"No, I'm fine," he reassured the medic in their group as he placed his hand on his shoulder. "Where's the traitor?" he asked, looking across the room.

"He's in-" Number One began as she rested on the floor, her ankle not strong enough to allow her to stand.

"I'm speaking to Forty-two," he cut her off, causing her to look more wounded.

"As soon I as arrived, I contacted Team Delta to escort him to the Nursing Station. After he's patched up, he will be returned to his quarters, where he will be locked in until orders come down from the Huntsqueen, sir," she reported.

"Good." He nodded his approval, before he stepped off the transporter platform and began to make his way towards the door, his limp very apparent by now.

"Huntsman?" Number Seventeen spoke.

Eric turned to him. "Yes?"

"Did you slay him after all?" he couldn't help but ask.

"Him?" Eric shook his head. "_It_," he corrected. "And yes, I did. Because we don't show mercy to dragons and we don't negotiate with traitors." He then looked around at them all. "Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" they barked.

Eric smiled tiredly at them. "You're all fine cadets," he told them before he left the room.

"I- I need to go to the Nursing Station," Number One spoke quietly. She felt as if she had disappointed her team leader. And how could she not, when it was her weapon that had fallen into enemies hands. Maybe Number Forty-two was right, maybe she had just been the biggest suck up.

Number Twenty-four reached down to pick her up, but was stopped with a touch on the arm. He turned to see Number Seventeen. "Thank you, Twenty-four, but she is my responsibility," spoke the medic.

"Of course." Twenty-four stepped out of the way. The four than left the room and went their separated ways.

OoOoO

Yan Yan jolted into motion before she coughed life back into her body. Her body was sore and her brain felt as if were going to pound right out of her head. "Dammit," she cursed as she was now down to six lives. She tired to stand on all four feet, but her legs felt like jell-o underneath her. Then she remembered how she had lost her life and her head snapped up looking at her surroundings. The cabin was nearly gone, burned to the ground. In fact, in some places, fire still remained, but was slowly flickering out.

As Yan Yan continued to look around it was then that she noticed Fred, in his human form, under netting, and not moving. "Boy!" she yelled out. She went to run to him, but still had not regain her bearings; she tripped and fell several times as she made her way over. She collapsed on top of him, breathing heavily as she shook him, trying to ignore the blood that surrounded them. "No, no," she cried as she laid her head on his chest and dug her claws into him, but she felt no movement.

Fred was dead.

Yan Yan had never cried before. She had also never cared about any of her charges before this one. And yet, he was the one she had failed. Yan Yan wiped away her tears. She knew what had to be done. It would call for great sacrifice, but she would do anything for her boy. She would make this up to him. But there was only one other who could help her now. "Fu Dog," she whispered his name as if it left a disgusting taste in her mouth. Asking him for help would not be easy, because seeking assistance from Fu Dog, for Yan Yan, was like dealing. . . _with the Devil_.

To Be Continued. . .

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** A/N:** Does anyone know where I can get the episode "Fu and Tell"? It's been a while since I've seen it and I need to refresh my memory for the next chapter.


	25. Laws of Nature

**A/N:** In the show, Fu Dog is said to be 600 years old, yet in the first season when he's fighting with Yan Yan, you clearly see them fighting in a period of time where they aren't suppose to be alive yet. I played on that a little. Avatar Style.

I would like to thank my new beta reader, WiltingDaisies94, for her help.

* * *

Posted: May 5, 2008

**Chapter Twenty-five: Laws of Nature  
**(_Push and Pull_)

"Faster!" barked Sun Park as she supervised over Haley's training. "Harder!" she continued, as she knew her student could put more power behind her strikes.

Lao Shi walked into the training room quietly, with Fu Dog by his side. He said nothing, at first, as he watched his youngest grandchild work through the obstacle course set up for her by her teacher. Haley, though still not as powerful as the one who preceded her, moved with a grace that only came from years of dance. She was able to maneuver in ways that Jake could only dream about.

The current American Dragon was slowly coming into her own. She was no longer the small, pink, and fragile dragon she had once been. Her scales were slowly growing darker, making her appear more purple than she once was. Her wings, which were once barely able to keep her in the air, had expanded. They were now longer than her body measured from head to toe.

Haley, jumped, flipped, ran, and flew through the course she was given. At random times a cardboard figure would jump out, either revealing an enemy or a friend. Her precision and aim were remarkable . . . and she knew it. She smiled to herself as she came close to the end, knowing her time would make record, but then one last figure sprung up and Haley couldn't help but pause in front of it.

"No hesitation!" Sun Park ordered and so, snapping back into what she was doing, Haley took a deep breath before the flames rose from her throat and ignited the figure in front of her. Haley found she could do nothing as she watched the image of her brother slowly burn to the ground. She went to turn away, unable to look at it any longer, before Sun Park told her to stand her ground. So Haley turned back to the figure, her body shaking, as the fact that her brother was a fugitive was concreted into her mind.

"That was unnecessary." Lao Shi gave his critique to Sun Park as he heard his granddaughter stifle tears.

"Hello, Lao Shi," Sun greeted the man beside her. "And I'm sorry, but I must sadly disagree." Her tone was melancholy. She hated seeing her student in pain. "There may come a day when she has to face Jake. She must be prepared."

"Jake would never attack Haley," Lao Shi pointed out confidently.

"Just like a dragon could never go bad," she countered.

Lao Shi's head snapped towards her immediately. "My grandson is nothing like the Dark Dragon." He hoped his voice did not give away his anger. "He is not evil," he pointed out. Lao Shi then lowered his head and continued softly. "He has just lost his way, but soon he will see his mistake and return home. I'm sure of it."

"You have too much faith in your grandson," Sun responded. "We can not turn a blind eye, we made that mistake before."

As Lao Shi and Sun Park continued to speak, Fu Dog excused himself before making his way over to Haley, who had changed back into her human form. "I hate when they argue," she whispered, as Fu Dog came into listening range.

"Come on, kid," Fu Dog indicated that he wanted her to follow him. "We have your potion lesson."

Haley sighed as she fell into step behind him. "I don't remember Jake ever having to do so many potions," she pointed out.

Fu Dog only smiled. "Jake didn't have the brains nor the patience for potions. He only attempted them when they benefited him. He was selfish like that, I suppose." His eyes then grew a bit sad. "It was the only time he ever was."

"Let's not talk about Jake, okay?" Haley asked and Fu Dog complied.

Before long Fu Dog and Haley were in the back of the shop gathering ingredients. "It's okay to be afraid," Fu Dog whispered as he handed her the next ingredient for a transformation potion.

Haley looked to him curiously. "Afraid of what?" she began. "About this blowing up on me?" She smiled. "Believe me, after last month, I won't make that mistake again."

Fu Dog shook his head. "You know that's not what I meant." He sighed as he paused in his actions and looked over to his youngest charge. "I meant, when it comes to facing Jake."

Haley's brow furrowed deeply. "I thought I said I didn't want to talk about him." She angrily grabbed the jar labeled 'Spider Webs' and hastily threw it into her cauldron.

"Sun Park is right you know, there will be a day when you have to face him." Haley went for another ingredient, but Fu Dog pulled it from her reach, causing her to look at him as he sat on his stool. "You're more like him than you know."

"What do you all want from me?" she asked, clearly upset. "I'm doing the best I can here, okay? I understand that Jake did this job better than I could ever wish to, but I'm trying!" She pushed back the tears that threaten to fall.

"No one said you weren't, but you're having to face something none of us have before." Fu Dog left it at that and as he predicted, Haley finally spoke.

"He's my brother," she concluded. "And though I would have never admitted it to him when he was around, I admired him. Even when he did stupid things, like he's doing now." Haley pulled up a stool next to Fu Dog. "How could he just leave like that?" she wondered out loud. "Why would he willingly do something like this? What could have been so important?"

"I've spoken to Gregory," Fu Dog began before he heard a scoff like sound leave Haley's mouth. "He said-"

"Whatever Gregory said, I don't care," the young girl informed her canine friend. It wasn't long after Jake had left that she learned that Trixie was pregnant and it wasn't with her husband's child. Haley half wondered, if Jake had left from the shame of that alone. Raising one child that wasn't yours was honorable, but raising two? Well, that was just down right foolish. "So can we just get back to the potion, please," she asked, her expression tired, but willing to push on.

"Yeah," Fu Dog nodded and so the two went back to work.

"Fu," came a voice so soft that Fu Dog thought he had imagined it. He looked up from his book and the potion, which was now coming to a boil. He looked to Haley curiously, but it was clear by the expression of concentration on her face, that she had not said anything. So Fu Dog shrugged it off, chalking it up to it being a long day and that his mind was playing tricks on him, before going back to his book for precise measurements.

"Fu," the sound was strong, and there was so mistaking it this time.

Fu Dog's head slightly jerked up and he gasped. "La," he whispered to himself. He then swiftly turned around, his fangs on full display as he growled. "Yan Yan!" Haley aware of the two's relationship quickly turned into her dragon form and took a fighting stance, a stance her brother had taught her.

Yan Yan seem to float in mid-air as she peered at them through a tear in time and space. "Fu, I am not here to fight you." There was something in her voice; it was so foreign that Fu Dog could not hold his anger. His expression softened towards her as he realized it was sadness. "I need your help. Please, this won't stay long," she said, referring to her already shrinking window.

"What is it?" Fu Dog asked, still not convinced this wasn't some kind of trap.

"It's Fred," her voice shook, tears threatening her eyes. "He's dead."

It was all she had to say before Fu Dog sprung for his stool and jumped through the portal that lead him to her. "Fu!" Haley yelled. "Wait up!"

"Stay there!" Fu Dog ordered, but it was too late, Haley jumped into portal after him. She crashed onto the floor on the other side and sat up just in time to see the portal close and disappear. "Oh, that's probably not good," she concluded, as she reverted back to a fourteen year old girl.

"You shouldn't have come," Fu Dog warned her.

"Where are we?" Haley asked, still sitting on the floor, as she took a look at her surroundings. It was a burnt down cabin in the middle of the woods, which seemed to be magically rebuilding itself at a slow rate.

"Welcome to the land down under," Yan Yan greeted the teenager. She then turned to Fu Dog. "I have business to discuss with you and I would prefer not to do it in front of the child."

"Of course," he agreed, before asking Haley to give them a minute. Haley nodded before finally standing, watching her step as she made her way out of the cabin and into the woods. Fu Dog then turned to Yan Yan when he felt Haley was out of ear shot. "What happened?" he asked.

Yan Yan closed her eyes and Fu Dog was amazed to see an actual tear escape down her cheek. It had been so long since he had been reminded of how vulnerable she could be. "It was the Huntsclan," she began. "Fred was captured and he had escaped, but not without help or injury. They came for him, and the other. They took the other with them, and left my boy to die." She looked back up at Fu Dog, her eyes no longer sad, but enraged. "I want them dead," she told him, before her bottom lip began to quiver, "but most of all. . . I want my boy back," she confessed.

Fu Dog slowly began to shake his head; he knew where this was leading. "No," was his answer.

"Please," she stepped forward, her desperation clear. "You're the only one powerful enough. You know I can't do it alone."

"No!" Fu Dog barked loudly, looking at her like she was out of her mind.

"Fu Dog?" Haley had yelled over when she couldn't help but hear him. He told her everything was fine before going back to his conversation with his feline companion. Unconvinced, Haley whispered softly, "Ear of the Dragon." She listened closely as her ears were now able to pick the two up.

"I won't do it," Fu Dog continued. "You don't realize the sacrifice it calls for."

"Yes, I do," she confirmed. "And the sacrifice is my own. You know that." She watched as Fu Dog continued to shake his head. "I'm not asking for the boy, but for me," she tried to explain. "He's the only charge, I have ever had a connection with. He's the only one, who has ever treated me like an equal, and not just a pet or a guardian. He was my boy. He was my friend." She paused for a moment. "I have never been able to say that about a charge before," she admitted. "And I want him back." It was more of a demand than a request, and she knew it. "Please," she added for good measure.

"You want me to bring back the dead for you," Fu whispered, causing Haley to gasp where she stood. "You know the cost, La."

"La?" She stepped closer to him. "It's been so long since you've called me that."

"Don't change the subject," Fu Dog asked of her.

"Fine," she agreed. "And you're right, I know the cost and I'll gladly pay it. I can spare them, Fu," she assured him. "I am a cat, as you can see."

Fu Dog looked straight at her as he gave his reply. "The answer is still no," he whispered.

"Why?" she demanded.

"You know why!" He was growing weary with this conversation. "We two are so much older than we have let everyone believe," he began. "You know I'll follow, I always have, but I can't right now. My own charges need me."

"I told you I can spare them. I would never ask you to leave your own for mine," she made clear. "I mean, did you really think I was that selfish?" she asked. Fu Dog only looked away, causing Yan Yan to scoff. "You and I are older than time itself," she began. "You have faithfully followed me in death and I, you in birth, no matter what the form. Whether it be the sun and the moon, koi fish in a pond, or a cat and dog, playing an endless game of tag."

Fu Dog looked defeated. "I'll bring him back," he finally agreed, Yan Yan's face lit up. "But under one condition."

"Name it." She sat up tall.

"I know you're lying to me," he told her. "So tell me the true reason you want him back and he is yours."

"Tui," she whispered his true name, but he would not be deterred. Yan Yan sighed before telling him what he wanted to hear, knowing it would hurt him. "His soul," she referred to Fred. "It's the soul she left behind. The boy is his reincarnate."

"So you finally found him, after all this time?"

"Not me, her," she corrected.

"You're one in the same. You gave her life and she gave it back to you. Her thoughts and feelings are your own. You've allowed them to dominate." As they spoke the cabin finally finished rebuilding itself. Fu Dog stood on all four before walking pass Yan Yan to the room where he knew Fred's lifeless body would be resting.

"Fu," she called after him, causing him to stop where he stood. "Are you angry?" she asked.

He didn't turn around as he answered her. "Compared to us, he loved you mere seconds. Seconds!" His bark was so ferocious that it caused Haley, who was still eavesdropping, to nearly jump out of her skin. "Yet, it was enough to make you search for him, century after century, lifetime after lifetime." There was then a long pause. "No," he finally said softly. "I'm not angry," he lied. "Now, if you'll excuse me, it takes concentration . . . _defying_ _the Laws of Nature_."

To Be Continued. . .

* * *

**A/N:** You know what? I think it's time to bring Jake back into the story.


	26. Haley

**A/N:** Wrote this whole chapter listening to Maxwell's "This Woman's Worth" and India Arie's "The Truth".

Once again I would like to think my beta, WiltingDaisies94. It was her idea to give more background about Fu and Yan Yan when it came to the Avatar side of it. For those who don't watch Avatar, the storyline of The Princess and the Warrior can be found in Season 1, Episodes 18, 19, and 20.

Enjoy!

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Posted: May 14, 2008

**Chapter Twenty-six:** Haley

Haley's face was deadpan as she sat outside leaning against a tree. "Bring back the dead," she whispered to herself, after having overheard the private conversation Fu Dog had had with Yan Yan. Or should she say Tui and La?

Haley knew the tale of Tui and La well, but she thought it had been no more than a bedtime story, a myth, or even a fairy tale. She had been at the library, doing research for an up-coming project, when she had stumbled upon a strange looking book that seemed somehow out of place. She picked it up and was immediately intrigued by what seemed to be a love story.

Tui and La were of the Spirit World, destined to be opposites in all that they did. Tui was the Spirit of the Water and La of the Moon. They had given up their immortality to live in the mortal realm. Each lifetime, one would die and the other would soon follow, only to be reborn, and so their cycle was never ending. Each lifetime they would have to search for each other, for they had an internal need to always know where the other was, to always have balance.

But then something had changed. La, in the form of a koi fish, had given part of her soul to a dying baby girl. That little girl would grow up to become a princess named after her savior. The princess had fallen in love with a young warrior from another tribe. Their love was pure and innocent, but not without hardship. The princess's hand had been promised to another. Each wanted to do the honorable thing, so they tried denying what they felt for each other. But soon war approached and in the midst of that battle La, the koi fish was lost.

Tui did not understand why he had not followed, his beloved was gone, but he couldn't seem to follow her into the next life. He grew angry and aided his allies against the ones who had slain La. But then a miracle happened, and La was brought back to him by the girl she had once saved. He was overjoyed, but it wasn't until the next lifetime that he realized something was wrong. After finding each other, La seemed to still be on the hunt. Searching for something she couldn't quite recall. It would take her several lifetimes before she realized, she was looking for a soul she had left behind.

Haley's brow furrowed, that was all of the story she remembered, but then she realized she had just watched its conclusion. Within Fred was the soul of this warrior, the love La had to leave behind long ago and apparently Tui was not happy with the discovery.

And though their story was intriguing, it wasn't what struck Haley the most. What did was the fact that Fu Dog had the power to bring back the dead. "Mom," the young girl whispered sadly to herself. But then her sadness evaporated and turned into anger. If he had that power, why had he not brought back her mother? Why did he idly sit back as he watched their family slowly fall apart?

Haley pushed herself off the ground, ready to confront Fu Dog and demand an answer. She stormed into the newly rebuilt cabin and made her way down the hall towards the only close door in her vision. She was so blinded by her anger that she did not notice the bright light that was escaping from the crack underneath the door. "Fu!" she yelled out, as she turned the doorknob and opened it wide, only to be blasted off her feet before striking the wall behind her.

As she landed on the floor she closed her eyes and covered them with her arm. "Fu!" she screamed, fear in her voice, as she wasn't sure about what to make of the unearthly light. Haley could feel it all around her. It invaded her senses right down to her very core. Then it was as if she was looking through eyes that weren't her own. All she could see was white, but it had structure and a form. . . it was snow.

The next image was harder to place. It was blue, and it made Haley feel warm and safe. They were eyes, followed by a smile, and then a face. It was a boy. And somehow she knew his name was Sokka, and that she was loved. And then suddenly, everything went black and she shivered in the coldness of it. She was submerged deep in the ocean, with no sense of what was up or down. She felt alone. She felt abandoned.

Haley then began coughing and surprisingly, air filled her lungs. She breathed heavily as she lowered her arm and looked into the bedroom. "Fred!" Yan Yan jumped onto the bed and landed on Fred's chest, where she laid down her head and began to sob openly.

Weakly, Fred lifted his hand and placed it upon Yan Yan. "I'm okay," he replied hoarsely, a soft smile on his face as his eyes remained close. "Don't cry, Yani."

"Don't ever leave me again," she begged of him through her tears.

Haley's eyes then drifted to Fu Dog on the other side as he watched the interactions of the two before him. He was no longer needed here and so he slowly lowered his head, a pained expression on his features, that he didn't know had been noticed, before walking out of the room. He seemed tired as he finally noticed Haley sitting outside the door. "Come on, kid," he tried to sound cheerful, with a job well done, but the dulling light in his eyes, made it unconvincing. "Let's find some Krylock venom and go home."

Haley only nodded. Moments ago, she had been so angry, and now the only thing she could feel was her aching heart for her animal guardian, bound for eternity to love one who loved another. The story of Tui and La was anything, but a fairy tale.

"Happy birthday, boy." Was the last thing Haley heard Yan Yan say to Fred as she caught up with Fu Dog down the hall.

OoOoO

"It's been rumored that Jake may be in this part of the world," Haley informed Fu Dog in the kitchen. "I want to find him," she said softly as she watched him pour Krylock venom into the potion that would take them home. "I want to see Jake."

Fu Dog frowned at the request. "I don't think that's a good idea. You're not ready to face him."

Haley returned his frown. "Do you really think Jake has gone bad?" she asked. "Do you think he really wants to fight me?"

Fu Dog turned to her. "Look, it's not my call to make. And I don't want to make it. I just want to go home!" he yelled. "Okay?" he said softly. "I can't be here anymore," he admitted. Haley said nothing more as she only looked at him. She then sighed before turning around and going to see the recovering dragon.

Fred smiled at her as she poked her head around the corner. "Don't be shy," he told her. "I don't think we've officially met," he greeted her as he slowly sat up. "I'm Alfred Nerk, but my friends call me Fred. I'm the Australian Dragon." Yan Yan purred as Fred continued stroking the length of her body.

"I'm Haley Long," she hesitated. "The American Dragon." The title still didn't feel like it was truly hers.

"It's nice to meet you." Fred then gestured to a nearby chair. "Please, sit." Haley nodded her thanks before sitting down. "Please, don't see this as rude, but I have to know. What terms are you on with your brother?" he asked.

Haley looked at him curiously. "What does that matter to you?"

"Just answer the question," he requested.

"They're training me to hunt him down," she confessed sadly, not noticing Fred's displeasure at this knowledge. "But I don't think I can do that. We've had our differences, but he's still my brother, and I don't care what the council thinks, he didn't leave his station because he's decided to turn against the Magical World. He's protected it too long to turn his back on it." Haley then thought of Fu Dog and how desperately he needed to get out this cabin. "I think Jake left because his heart was hurt and he needed to repair it," she hypothesized.

Now it was Fred's turn to look at her curiously. "You know about the Huntsclan?" he asked, wondering how much she knew about Rose.

Haley only looked at him for a moment. "Wow, that's a word I haven't heard in a long time," she told him. "What about the Huntsclan? They've been gone for years."

"You're treading on dangerous waters," Yan Yan warned Fred in a harsh tone.

"I know what I'm doing. Trust me," he whispered back before returning his attention back to the other dragon in the room. "The Huntsclan has returned," he said, revealing the truth. Seeing that she didn't believe him, he continued. "Your brother is searching for them." Haley was speechless. "He's contacted me, we spoke-"

"You've spoken to him? So does that mean you know where he is?" she cut him off. "Where's my brother?" She stood as if demanding that he answered.

"Here, in Australia," was his simple reply.

"Take me to him. Please," she begged of him. Fred thought over her request. "It's been over seven months since I've seen him. He's written me a few times, but it's not the same," she tried to explain, but his expression had not changed. "I guess, I can't expect you to understand," she lowered her head in defeat.

"I'll take you to him," Fred finally announced. Haley looked at him in shock, thinking that she wanted to hear those words so badly that she had imagined it. When she realized his words had been true, there was a feeling of joy so strong within Haley that she couldn't help but throw her arms around him and squeeze him for all that he was worth. Fred returned her hug, but with a warning. "Don't make me regret this decision."

OoOoO

"Fuck!" Jake yelled as he tossed down a map of the place he was temporarily calling home. "This is getting us nowhere!" he cried out in frustration.

Daisy sat calmly off to the side in a chair as she sipped her drink. "Settle down, Jake. Acting like an idiot won't help our situation. We have to be patient," she advised him.

"Patient?" Jake looked at her in disbelief. "It's been over half a year and we still haven't found any trace of the Huntsclan." He flopped down on the bed inside his hotel room. He sighed heavily before saying in a murmur, "I'm starting to think this was all a big mistake." He then closed his eyes, but then only moments later he felt water being dumped on him. "Hey!" he yelled as he bolted straight up and found Daisy standing over him.

"If you want to give up, fine!" she yelled. "I don't need you here, so just go back home."

"Home? Home to what?" Jake asked her as he stood and wrung out his shirt. "To my wife and kid?" He looked at her. "Because she ain't there waiting for me. She left me the night I decided to come here with you."

Daisy's eyes grew wide with Jake's words. "I- I didn't know," she stuttered.

"Of course you didn't. You're so busy caught up in your own world, you don't realize that I am slowly going insane," he informed her as he realized his shirt was beyond repair. He quickly pulled it over his head and tossed it to the floor before pulling a clean one out of a drawer.

Daisy opened her mouth, closed it, and then opened it again before she spoke. "It almost sounds like you're blaming me."

"Ding, ding, ding, ding! Someone give the lady a prize!" Jake then sat back down. "I was finally starting to forget about her. I was finally ready to let her go. It was a slow process," he suddenly remembered his first kiss with Trixie, "but I was getting there." He then looked at Daisy. "Then you came along and you reopened an obsession and it consumed _everything._" He then lowered his head into his hands. "I've lost so much."

Daisy only wrapped her arms around herself. She had no words to comfort him and so she treaded slowly. "I didn't hold a gun to your head, Jake. If you think you've lost everything, it's because you've willingly let it go."

Jake softly gasped at the truth. "Get out," he told her with his head still down, anger clear in his voice.

"Fine, I'll be in my room." Daisy walked towards the door and stepped out, going to her hotel room across the hall.

A moment later, there was a knock at the door. Jake wasn't in the mood to hear anything Daisy wanted to say. She had touched a nerve and knowing her, she probably wanted to push on it. Jake then stood up, drawing out his claws and baring his sharp fangs. He didn't want to hurt her, he just wanted to scare her enough so she would leave him alone for a few days. He whipped the door opened and growled furiously.

He heard a soft gasp, before he finally made out the person who stood before him. "Haley," he whispered to himself as he watched her turn into her dragon form.

"I didn't come to fight." Her face was stern. "So please don't make me." Haley couldn't help but wonder if she had been wrong about her brother turning his back against the Magical World.

She jolted back as his claws slowly came towards her, but as they did, they turned back into a human hand. He grabbed the back of her head and she froze in fear. It wasn't until her head was against his chest, that she realized he had pulled her into a hug. Tears fell from her eyes as she changed back into a young teenager and returned her brother's embrace, before hearing him speak for the first time in over seven months. "I've missed you. . . _Haley_."

To Be Continued. . .

* * *

**A/N:** Wow, I can't believe how far behind I am with this story. I have to finish up the 88/89/Fred arch, which will lead to the Jake/Rose arch. Then there will be a few more important events, and then the moment I've been looking forward too since chapter four. . . _The return of Spud_.

I still find it hard to believe that people think he's dead. This whole story is a **BIG **flashback and we're trying to get to the very first part in chapter one.

Hopefully, I'll still be able to finish this story in 40 chapters. My goal is to have this done no later than a year from now. So mark your calenders!


	27. Breathing

**A/N:** Once again, I would like to thank my wonderful beta reader, WiltingDaisies94.

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Posted: August 15, 2008

**Chapter Twenty-seven: Breathing**

"And that's the whole story," Jake laid out almost everything for Haley to hear, skipping over the parts about Spud, as they sat across from each other in his hotel room. He sighed as he looked down at the floor, his little sister's eyes on him, intense as she analyzed the situation.

He then noticed her straighten up, ready to speak. His ears perked as he waited to hear what she thought, because Jake could deny many things, but Haley's intelligence was not one of them. There used to be a time when he envied her insight, but it was only now that he was grateful for it. So he sat patiently until she was finally ready to speak. "You're an idiot," was her verdict. His shoulders dropped.

Haley looked angry at him. "All this time, I thought she had broken your heart." She shook her head from side to side. "When in fact. . . you broke hers."

Jake's expression read of shame. "I know," he whispered.

"Jesus, Jake!" Haley yelled out of frustration. "What did you expect from her? To stay home and be the good little wife, while you went off chasing after some other woman?" Jake had no words for her. "And what has that gotten you so far? Here, alone in another country. No friends, no family, no status. Do you even know what dad and I have been through since you left?"

She was visibly upset and she had every right to be, Jake knew as he watched her stand. "With dad," she began slowly, her arms wrapping around herself. "It's like with mom all over again. He won't even wrap his head around the idea that you may not be coming back. He thinks-"

"Stop," Jake's brow furrowed as he cut her off. "I always planned on coming back," he clarified.

"How?" she asked. "The Council has gone mad. They want you brought in. You left your post, Jake, and as far as they're concerned, you're AWOL," she explained. "Jake," her voice seemed tired as she spoke. "They're going to take the search for you world-wide."

"What?" Jake couldn't believe it. All this fuss over leaving his post? "I don't understand." His confusion was clear.

"What's not to understand? You're a powerful dragon." Jake knew it was bad when his sister started complimenting him. "Not only that, but influential in the magical word. You can easily make others see your side. Jake. . ." she didn't know how to say it. "They think you have the potential to become the next Dark Dragon." Silence then fell over the siblings.

"I-" Jake finally began several moments later. "I could never betray the oath I took," he said softly. Haley looked relieved to hear him say the words she had been preaching to others for months. She knew her brother could never be evil. And with that fact secure in her mind, she sat back down, a smile on her face.

"I know," she whispered as she reached out and took his hand. "So let's return home, stand before the Council, and explain everything. They'll reinstate you and we can start getting things back to normal," she suggested.

"No," was Jake's final word as he slid his hand away from Haley.

"Why not?" she wanted to know.

"You're smarter than that, Haley. You already know why," he told her.

"The Huntsclan," she confirmed. Jake nodded. "Don't you think this is the type of information the Council would want to know? If you tell them you left your post on official duty they will understand."

"I don't think they will. This isn't only about the Huntsclan," he tried to tell her.

"You're right, it's about you and how each day brings you closer to destroying your marriage."

"My marriage has already failed." He looked away. "But if it means anything to you, I never meant to hurt Trixie," he admitted.

"Really? Because you had me fooled. I mean, have you truly forgotten what Rose did to our family?!" she yelled, furious that her brother had fallen so deeply into his own denial. He was so much like their father in that respect. "You can't possibly still care for her! She had our mother killed, Jake. And if what you say is true, she's begun a new reign of the Huntsclan." She was frantic. Her brother could not be _this _blind. "I watched our mother die, Jake. She died!" Haley was determined to make him see the light. "You trusted her, you loved her, and she turned on you like rabid dog!"

"Enough, Haley," he whispered, but she continued.

"That heartless bitch doesn't deserve your loyalty! What that monster deserves is to be tied and beaten within an inch of her life. That bitch-" But Jake would not give her a chance to open his eyes, as she was cut off immediately when she felt his hand strike her across the face. He did so, with so much force, that Haley was knocked from her chair. Jake gasped as he realized what he had just done. He didn't even remember rising from his seat to stand over her. All he could remember thinking at the time was that he wanted her to shut up and shut up now!

Jake could only stare as Haley slowly brought her hand up to her stinging face. Her cheeks wet as tears began to cascade down her pale skin. Jake went to speak. "I'm sorry," but they were not his words that were heard. The older dragon's eyes grew wide as he realized that the words had slipped from his sister's mouth.

Why was she apologizing to him? He didn't understand, because everything she had told him was true. Jake knew he had been losing his focus, but didn't know how to get back on track. "I'm sorry," Haley's voice broke as she repeated her words.

Jake then suddenly dropped to the floor beside her. "No." He shook his head as he wrapped his arms around his little sister and embraced her tightly. He had already failed so many people in his life, including himself, but he would be damned if he allowed Haley to be one of them. "No, I'm sorry. _Me_," he stressed as she began to sob openly into his chest.

OoOoO

His eyes had been opened, he knew, but he was already in this too deep to turn around now. If he had any chance of things returning to normal he had to set this right. He laughed at the thought. _Normal. _That was all Trixie ever wanted and though he was nowhere near the definition of normal, he knew he could have tried harder.

After apologizing to Haley and regaining his cool, they spoke for a while longer. Jake learned about Fred and how he had had his own ordeal with the Huntsclan. "Wait," Jake interrupted her in the middle of her story. "Are you telling me. . . Fred knows where the Academy is located?" At his question, Haley knew she had said too much. "Haley," he demanded an answer.

"Yes," she finally responded.

"Where is Fred now?"

"Recovering," she answered slowly. "I know what you're thinking, Jake, he's not up to it," she told him.

"I wouldn't ask him to go back, not after what he's been through. I only need him to point me in the right direction," he explained. "Take me too him."

Haley sighed. She thought she had been so close to convincing him to come home with her, but then she had to go and open her big mouth. "Fine," she agreed, knowing that there was no changing his mind once it had been set. "It's faster if we fly," she told him.

Jake couldn't help the smile that came to his face as he flew beside his little sister. It was a simple thing that he had taken for granted long ago. For months he had flown the skies alone, looking for what seemed to be the impossible, but he had his sister next to him now and somehow that made everything better. Everything now seemed just a little more bearable. "Thank you," he whispered into the wind, knowing full well that the rush of air around them would never allow it to reach her ears.

It wasn't long before the siblings reached their destination. Jake followed Haley inside and he was greeted with a warm smile from his fellow dragon. "Jake!" Fred was glad to see his trusted friend, but it didn't seem like the sentiment was returned. "Jake?" he questioned.

"Haley, she told me what happened." The smile on the blonde's face finally fell. "You didn't give me up."

"Of course not. What kind of friend would I be if I had?" He then gave him a friendly hit on the arm. "Come on." He led them to the sofas. "We should talk," he suggested.

As they sat down, Jake got straight to the matter at hand. "Tell me of the Huntsclan," he asked of Fred.

Fred frowned. "They aren't the Huntsclan we remember," he let the fact be known. "From what I can conclude, the top three run everything and they are not older than we are. The rest, no more than thirteen."

"Children?" Jake questioned, not knowing how he felt about going up against someone several years his junior.

"Don't let the fact that they are children fool you," Fred warned. He then pressed his lips together for a moment before beginning again. "When they had me locked up, they brought down a handful of their members to see me. . ." he trailed off in deep thought. Haley gave him a concern look before she reached over and gently touched his hand. He smiled as his gaze focused on her. He then continued slowly. "Their eyes. There was so much hate within them. It burned with it. They were hungry for blood. Each is trained to be anything, but a child." He gave his point of view. "Like I said, they are not the Huntsclan we remember. Something stirs within, something darker than before."

"It's revenge," Jake answered. The other looked at him curiously. Jake only shook his head. "It's a moment I don't want to relive," was his only explanation, and Fred respected it. Jake then stood and walked over to the window. It was beginning to grow dark. "Where can I find them?" he asked and found that a moment later that his friend stood beside him.

"Do you know what you're doing, Jake?" Fred wanted to know.

"I don't know what I'm doing anymore," he said honestly. "But this is something I have to do. I have to face her. I have to know where I stand," he finished in a whisper.

"Then we leave tonight," Fred announced and then turned around to prepare.

"No," Jake answered. "You've been through enough. You don't have to go back."

"You don't understand," Fred began with his back to both of the Long children. "They took something from me and I want him back." Both could hear the anger in his voice before he continued down the hall.

"Him? Who's him?" Jake asked his sister.

Haley gave him an exhausted sigh. "Were you not listening to me at all at the hotel?" she wondered. "One of the top three, the Huntsclan member he escaped with, who was forced to go back, is his boyfriend," she clarified.

Jake then quickly sat next to Haley and then whispered. "Fred's gay?" he asked seriously.

Haley stared at her brother in amazement. "Wow, Jake. Just when I think you can't surprise me anymore." She got up and headed towards the kitchen.

"What? What did I say?" he called behind her.

OoOoO

"You probably already know him." Fred answered when Jake, feeling bad that he hadn't known more about his friend, asked about his boyfriend. "He was part of the New York Chapter. Brooklyn Even. He's the Number One Huntsman." he paused to think a moment. "But more than likely you know him by his cadet name. . . Number Eighty-nine," he revealed. "My Kaden," he spoke softly to himself.

Haley's stomach dropped at that moment as she lost a bit of her altitude when she heard the familiar name. Number Eighty-nine. _Her mother's killer_. How could someone so kind, love someone so vile? She wondered as she regained her altitude. Jake then swept in beside her. He spoke only loud enough for her to hear. "I know what you're thinking."

"You have no idea what I'm thinking," her voice was tight and low.

"Relax, because I want the same thing." The words surprised Haley greatly as her head whipped towards him.

She then gave him a concern look. "You know what this will cost you." She reminded him. Jake chanced a glance at Fred. He had always been a good friend to him and so the thought of betraying him gave him a nasty feeling in his stomach. "Can you truly be with me on this?" Haley's voice rang through his thoughts.

"Would you forgive me if I weren't?"

"Never," she declared.

"Then I'm with you." He had made his decision. He knew it would sever all ties he had with Fred, but what kind of son would disrespect the memory of their fallen mother? This was about honor for both Haley and Jake and it would be restored.

"Good," Haley began. "Because be clear on this, we are not-" she stopped when both realized that Fred had finally noticed them. Jake fell back into their V formation without hearing Haley finish her sentence, but it was alright because he already knew her final words. They were not leaving Number Eighty-nine. . . _breathing_.

To Be Continued. . .


	28. Hey There

**A/N: **Wow, are there people still reading? =D

* * *

Posted: November 16, 2008

**Chapter Twenty-eight: Hey There**

Kaden groaned as he slowly pushed himself up from his bed. He made a face of pain as his hand went to cover his injured arm. He had been confined to his quarters going on two days and his mind raced with worry over Fred. Although, at this point, he should have been worried about his own well being. No one had come to see him yet, other than the cadet who made sure he was fed on time, and the lack of contact did nothing, but put Kaden on edge, if only just a little. He knew there would be some kind of punishment, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to think about it, so worrying about Fred, was all that occupied his mind.

But not even the Huntsclan would give him that as Kaden heard the door being unlocked from the outside. He sat calmly as it opened and Eric stepped though, his eyes on the floor as he did so. Kaden was no better as he immediately averted his eyes when he recognized who was coming to see him.

Each knew what was coming next, would be a pivotal moment when it came to each other lives. Silence rained over them, as each began to wonder, if the damage had already been done, if all that they were, was already severed beyond repair.

"Tell me, why," Eric finally spoke, his voice soft, fragile even. He then slowly allowed himself to look at the boy who sat across the room. "Why did you betray the Huntsclan? Why-" his voice broke, his chest felt heavy. "Why did you betray me?" he asked his true question.

Kaden shook his head. "What I did had nothing to do with you," Kaden tried to explain.

"So after everything – the good, the bad, the supernatural. . . I meant _nothing_ to you?" Anger was clear in his voice.

"The opposite actually. You mean a lot to me," Kaden let be known.

"Maybe." He took comfort in that fact, if only just a little. "But that didn't stop you from leaving."

Kaden took a deep breath. "I had to follow my heart, no matter who that may have hurt. Even if that ended up being you." Eric said nothing as he took in the other's words. "But don't think I planned this or did it on purpose," Kaden tried to explained. "I didn't think things would end up this bad when they started so simply."

Kaden then went on to explain how he had met Fred. It had been one of his free days off from the academy and he thought it would be a good time to go birthday shopping for Eric. He had entered a random shop with the intent of looking for inspiration, when one of the associates approached him and asked if he needed help. The associate ended up being Fred, who worked there part time.

Right away, the two of them seem to click. At the time, the young Huntsclan member would never admit it, but the thought of having a friend outside of the academy intrigued him. So he had gone back to the store and by chance caught Fred as he was ending his shift. Kaden had asked Fred if he was interested in hanging out.

Fred had looked at his watch, as if he were in a hurry, and explained to Kaden that his schedule didn't leave a lot of room for a social life. Fred expected the other to look slightly rejected, as he had said it in a rude way, but to his surprise, Kaden only smiled and told him that was another thing they had in common.

Fred, amused by the kid, and realizing he hadn't had a friend outside of the Magical World in years, thought he could use the change in pace. So by the end of their conversation they ended up exchanging information.

Things started out slow. There were a lot of missed calls and plenty games of phone tag before they realized emailing and text messages suited them better. One night, one had actually caught the other's call. Fred told Kaden he had some free time coming up and wondered if he wanted to do something. Kaden, being one of only three teachers in a still very young academy told Fred he didn't know if he could find the time.

Fred sounded put out, when he heard the news, and Kaden not wanting to push away a new friendship before it really began, recanted his words and told him he would maneuver somethings around and find the time. Kaden regretted that decision the moment he saw the fifteen foot waves at the beach Fred had dragged him to. He had to put up with Fred's teasing about being a city boy all day.

And that's how things went for many months, one found himself with free time and would immediacy call up the other, who would clear their schedule for the other.

One night, while at a local arcade, eating pizza, Fred received a phone call and went outside to answer it. Kaden couldn't hear the conversation, but he could see him through the glass doors as Fred steadily became agitated. He knew the news wasn't good when his blonde headed friend couldn't really look at him as he made his way back to their table.

Fred had apologized, telling him something had come up as he gathered his bookbag and made sure he had the book he had shown Kadan earlier. He hoped that they could reschedule as he said he would make this up to him. Kaden only smiled as he reassured him everything was fine. Another moment later, Fred was out the door leaving Kaden sitting by himself.

Then as soon as Fred was out of eye sight, Kaden heard a familiar sound. He soon realized that it was Fred's cell, which was sitting under the table. He quickly picked it up, the call already missed, and ran out the door and down the street where he had seen Fred heading. Kaden then froze in his tracks as he had spotted him around a dark alley turning into a yellow dragon.

And as Fred's wings spread out, his back to Kaden, he took into the sky, disappearing into the night. His cell began to ring again, which slowly fell to the ground from Kaden's fingertips.

OoOoO

Kaden continued his story. "My first thought was to contact the Academy to let them know I had discovered a dragon in the region. But as I went to make the call, I realize I couldn't." He took a deep breath. "It was then I realized I had come to care about him."

"What about me?" Eric wanted to know. "We had been together, you made no mention of someone else. You gave no clue, I wasn't the only one."

"At the time you were." Kaden gave a weak smile. "Fred and I had gotten into it sometime after that. He had noticed I was acting differently around him and he wanted a reason behind it. I lied and he caught me. I thought he was a hypocritical bastard when he told me he didn't do secrets and he ended our friendship. I wasn't in a good place after that and you noticed. You didn't know what was wrong, but you never pressured me into telling you. You were just there, and I appreciated you so much for that. Soon we sort of took off. And it was good. We were good."

Eric seemed genuinely pleased to hear those words, even though he knew they were lies. Their relationship had always been rocky at best, especially with Kaden trying to deny he was attracted to guys. "So why didn't we stay good?" he humored him.

Kaden looked hesitate. "A few weeks back, Fred called. He wanted to see me so I went to him. He told me, in his own way, that he missed me. He didn't want to end our friendship. And me, not thinking, told him I wanted more than friendship. To my surprise, he accepted, as he concluded that's what I had been hiding from him. He said he didn't want secrets in our relationship, so he showed me his true form, but I never told him I was Huntsclan."

"Or that you were already dating someone else, huh?" Eric interrupted his him. "I guess, I just completely and utterly slipped your mind."

"That wasn't it!" Kaden tried to defend himself. "I told you how much you meant to me, but how I didn't see us working like that. I always told you the truth."

"You were as clear as muddy water. Because no matter how the chips fell in your world, I was still cheated on. You didn't even have the decency to break it off with me before I made an idiot of myself," Eric told him. "Do you know how long it took me to gather the courage to say that I love you?" he asked, walking over to Kaden's bed. "And you just spit on it. Then you went and told that filth what you should have been telling me." He shook in his anger. "I love you! Do you even know what that means?" he screamed.

Kaden sat there calmly before he reached out and placed him hand on Eric's cheek. Despite himself, Eric closed his eyes and leaned into his touch, taking an all too familiar comfort within it. "I'm sorry," Kaden finally whispered. "I care for you, but I can't love you like that."

Kaden watched as a single tear slipped down Eric's dark cheek, before he opened his eyes. Kaden drew away, expecting the full force of the other's anger, but to his amazement, it didn't come. "I understand," were Eric's hushed broken words. He then turned around and walked towards the door. He opened it and closed it behind him, but not before saying, "And I hope you understand, why I had to kill your precious dragon." And leaving Kaden locked within his quarters, with only his thoughts to console him.

Eric had walked around the corner before he heard, the gut wrenching sobs of Kaden, but with each step Eric took, the other's cries meant less and less to him. He was a full blooded Huntsmen now, a foolish boyhood _crush _would no longer hold him back.

OoOoO

"Alright, lights are going out on my count." Getting in was not easy. Sneaking into a Huntsclan Academy had not been as simple as it was back when Jake was fourteen, but then again, he had had Spud by his side to hack into the system. It wasn't that his sister couldn't do the job just as well, but it was times like this that Jake wish that he, Trixie, and Spud were still an untouchable trio. "Three. . ." Haley began her countdown. "Two. . . One. Go!"

The lights were out and the three separated down different halls of the Academy, each with their own mission. Jake realizing just how huge the compound was stopped. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them, ten identical clones stood in front of him. He nodded and they all took off. He then continued down the path he was originally on.

Suddenly, there was a blaring alarm and flashing red lights. "Attention all cadets," came a recorded message, which made Jake falter in his steps.

"Rose," he couldn't help, but whisper her name.

"This is not a drill," the message warned. "Intruders have infiltrated the Academy. Seek and destroy. Repeat, this is not a drill."

Jake turned quickly as he heard footsteps and fighting down another corridor. One of his clones had been engaged in battle. "What's that?" Jake took off quickly, he couldn't be spotted now. He had to hide and wait for them to pass if he wished to know where Eight-nine was being kept. He slipped into the nearest room that had an unlock door and slowly close it as not to be heard. "I think I saw something go this way!" yelled a cadet, probably no more than nine. His spear was close to twice his side, but he carried it as if he had been born with it. A rush of cadets flew down the hall pass the door. "Echo – Romeo!" The nine year old seem to be giving silent instructions to two teams.

A moment later, when they could no longer be heard, Jake turned around to lean against the door, but as he did he realized he wasn't alone in the room. Frozen in shock across the room, stood none other than the woman Jake had been in love with for a good part of his life.

Each just stood there, staring at the other, not believing their eyes. Jake's lips curled into a small smile, she was just as beautiful as he remembered, even with the flashing red lights still going strong. Time and time again Jake wondered what he would do if he ever came face to face with her again. He hadn't heard from her in several long years. So much had changed and yet, when he looked at her, he still felt like that thirteen year old boy who had bumped into her one day after school.

His stomach was full of butterflies as he waited for her to speak. It was then that he realized she seemed hesitated and so Jake knew it was on him to do so. Suddenly his throat felt dry. How did one sum up everything in a moment like this? Jake then realized it was with one word at a time. And so he began the only way he knew how. . . "_Hey, there_."

To Be Continued. . .

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**A/N:** I was going to go with 'Hello' but I realized that 'Hey, there' fit better, yes?


	29. Love ::V1::

**A/N:** Wow, this came out kind of long for me. . . and yet I still feel like this chapter was rushed.

V2 isn't written yet. I literally just finished this five minutes ago. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it. I'm off to Neopets!

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Posted: January 18, 2009

**Chapter Twenty-nine: Love**

"Hey there, yourself," Rose answered his whisper with one of her own, though it was barely audible over the alarm still going off in the hallways. Except for it, silence once again fell over the former couple.

Jake took a moment to quickly take in their surroundings. They appeared to be in her quarters. She was dressed in a long pajama shirt, her Huntsclan outfit lain out on the bed with her pajama bottoms thrown on the floor as she had been prepared to change before he entered the room. Rose slightly moved, her weapons of choice hanging on the wall nearby. "It's been a long time," Jake finally spoke. This whole situation was more awkward than he had ever expected it to be.

"It has," she agreed, standing straighter, her hands balling up into a fist, as she didn't know what to expect from him.

"I-" Jake took a step towards her and she instinctively took a step back. Jake frowned.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice stronger than before. She was leader of the Huntsclan now, she had to start acting like it.

"I came for one of your members." He saw no reason to lie.

Rose narrowed her eyes, a protective sense coming over her. "My cadets? Why? Most of them are children. They are no threat to you," she told him.

Jake nodded his head, an annoyed expression on his face. "There was a time when I thought you weren't a threat to me either, but we all saw how that worked out."

For a moment, shame seem to appear on Rose's face. At the same time the alarm finally cut itself off, but the lights continued to flash, not only in the halls, but in the rooms. "What happen with your mother-" she wanted to explain.

"Just stop," Jake said quickly. "I didn't come here for an apology."

"An apology?" She looked at him curiously. "I wasn't planning on offering you one," she said point blank. "What I was going to say was, your mother made us even?"

Jake stood in complete shock. "Even for what?" he demanded.

"Don't play dumb with me," she looked insulted. "He was the only family I had, Jake, and you took him away from me!" she spoke of her uncle.

"What?" He couldn't believe what she was saying to him. "I gave you _back _your family," he stressed. "Everything I did was for you!" he yelled.

"But it wasn't real," she spoke. "When the memories of my true life came back, I realized who I truly was. I'm a hunter. It's in my blood." She held out her hand, showing her dragon birthmark. Her birthright. "My uncle took me from my parents for a reason. He knew I could never be happy living the docile life. The _normal _life." The word struck Jake hard for some reason. "Before my memory came back, I always felt like there was something missing, like I was living someone's life. Then, you found me and everything came rushing back."

"You're a real piece of work, you know that?" Jake began, irritation clear in his tone. "I had given you everything that I had worthwhile. My trust, my loyalty," he sighed. "My heart," he breathed as he placed both hands over his chest, his left on top of the right. "And because of that, not only have I suffered, but so has my family."

Rose's went to speak, but then her head slightly jerked back as she noticed the wedding band around his finger. "My mother," he continued, "was our family's light. And you stole it from us. My life as been nothing more than an up and down roller coaster since that day." He took several small steps towards her. "I should hate you," he hissed.

"Then hate me!" she challenged, not backing down as she found herself suddenly upset. "I knew what I was doing that night. I knew how it would hurt you and I did it anyway. On purpose!" she wanted known. "So hate me!" This all would be so much easier if she thought he didn't care anymore. If he came at her with everything he had, if he forced her to have to protect herself by going all out, because it was the only way she knew she could defeat him, if worst came to worst.

"I can't!" he yelled back.

"Why not!" she demanded, his stubborn nature making her angry.

"Because when I look at you, all I want to do is kiss you!" he shouted. He then gasped, his eyes growing wide as he realized what he had said out loud, but once it was spoken, the rest he couldn't stop. "Because all I want to do is hold you and keep you close and for that," his voice had softened. "I hate myself," he revealed, his eyes lowering towards the ground.

Rose licked her lips as she heard his words. "Then by that logic," she took a step closer, "I hate myself too," she whispered. Jake's head snapped up and though he had grown a lot over the last few years, Rose still had a few good inches over him.

Their confessions seem to float in the air around them as they realized what had always been as they stared into each other's eyes. Suddenly, Rose rushed him, forcing him, with a great thud, against the door he had entered. Jake was made breathless as he soon found Rose's mouth against his own. It only took him the span of an heartbeat to recover from the shock of her unforeseen attack.

And then, it was like the last several years had never happened as he fiercely kissed her back. It was as if they were sixteen again, before everything went to shit in a hand basket between them.

Rose moaned into Jake's mouth and practically melted in his arms as he wrapped them around her, making good on his word as he held her tight. He then pushed himself off the door, leading her to the bed on the other side of the room. Their kisses were desperate and felt with a need that each knew only the other could provide. It didn't matter what was happening outside the walls around them, because right now they were the only two people who existed.

Rose was slightly taken by surprised when Jake pushed her away and she landed roughly on her unmade bed. She slowly backed up making room for him on the queen size mattress, her breath heavy as she stared at the man in front of her.

Jake took slow, deep breaths as he watched the blonde beckon him with her lust filled eyes. He hesitated only a moment before lifting his shirt over his head and joining her.

She turned around laying on her stomach before Jake wrapped her hair around his hand and pulled it slowly as he placed his body over hers. He pulled as her pajama shirt, until it gave, and her shoulder was bare for him to see. He kissed it gently at first, but that didn't last long as he moved up her neck before once again finding her mouth and demanding the attention of her tongue with his own.

As their kiss slowly broke, Jake's hold on her hair loosen. He rose up to his knees and Rose rose to all four, she slightly turned her head and gave Jake a seductive smile as his hands snaked their way up her legs and found her cotton panties. He pushed her shirt up her back with his left hand and as he did so jerked to a stop, his wedding band catching his attention.

Rose spoke his name, but it went unheard by his ears as another's voice resounded in his head. _It's alright, Jake, I understand._ Jake's eyes closed as he could see the hurt expression on Trixie's face. _I mean, she's the love of your life, right? How can I possibly compare. . . when I'm just your wife? _

"I can't do this," he suddenly stated as he ran his hand through his hair and turned around and sat down. "I'm sorry, I just can't," he sighed as he covered his face with his hand.

Rose exhale before she came up behind him and placed her chin on his shoulder as she draped her arm around the other, slightly hugging him. "So, what's her name?" she asked, but Jake only shook his head.

"It doesn't matter," he finally gave a response. "She- she doesn't want to be with me anymore," he finally said the words he had been dreading to say. "I risked too much, foolishly thinking she would always be there." His chest became heavy. "I don't know how to feel," he confessed as he tilted his head against Rose, "I dreamt about this, but now that it's here," he slightly shrugged. "I just don't know."

Rose found Jake's hand. "The answer seems pretty clear to me," she began, "Like you said, she doesn't want you, but I do," she told him. She then took Jake's hand in both of hers and did what he found he couldn't do. She slipped the band off his finger before turning around and placing it in the drawer of her night stand. She gave it a strange look before closing the drawer, there was something about it, but she shrugged it off before she turned back to Jake only to find him staring at his hand.

It was the first time the ring had been off his finger since the day Trixie had placed it on him. It felt wrong somehow. He felt naked. Not quite complete. "Look at me, Jake." She placed a hand on his cheek and turned him towards her. "I want you," she whispered. "But I need you to want me too," she made clear. "So, do you want me?" For a moment, rejection seem to be at hand as Jake took his time to reply.

"Yes," he nodded. Jake then turned around and kissed her again, before laying her down on the bed and allowing himself to live in this moment.

OoOoO

The room was filled with a red light, as the flashing had stopped and now remained constant. Jake stared at the ceiling as Rose held him close and kissed him on the cheek. "Now see, wasn't that better than anything your wife could ever do?" she asked.

"Don't," he shook his head and closed his eyes. "Just don't."

"Fine," she agreed sadly. There was then a moment where she seemed to be in deep thought. "Stay with me," she suddenly whispered.

"What?" Jake turned his head towards her.

The way he was looking at her, Rose started to feel extremely shy and anxious. She was about to put her heart on the line. "Join the Huntsclan. Stand by my side as the Huntsmaster," she asked of him.

Jake gave a low, deep chuckle before shaking his head. "How ironic would that be?" he wondered. "From the Huntsclan being one of my top enemies to my greatest allies?"

"We can make it work. It's not like you don't know how we run. You have infiltrated the Academy before all on your own." She didn't remember Spud either. "We can do this. The cadets are all too young to know who you truly were. They don't know your past. We can be together, if only you'll stay with me."

"What about your Huntsmen? They know me, and I doubt they will just fall in place and take orders from me," he pointed out. "Besides, if you didn't remember, I'm the American Dragon, I can't betray my post."

Rose seemed a bit upset. "You already have. From what I have been told, you no longer carry the title. They gave it to your sister. The Magical World has turned it's back on you, so don't you think it's about time you do the same thing?" She rose and looked down at her lover. "Take your place by my side," she practically demanded. "This is where you belong. And if it's revenge you want against the Magical World, you know I will help you take it."

Jake stared at her for a moment, tempted at her offer. He had never thought about it fully before. . . revenge. Much of his life had been dictated to his job as the American Dragon. He worked his ass off, but it never seemed to be appreciated. And then at the first opportunity they got, they threw him out like yesterday's news. Yes, revenge would be sweet. . .

Jake then turned his head and the drawer with his wedding band came into view. "But my wife-"

"Doesn't matter!" she cut him off. "Why is she still even on your mind?" She found herself jealous, wondering how there could be anyone else in his life after herself, when for her, there was no one after him? "Besides, anyone could tell after seeing you and Trixie together that that little boy, isn't even yours." She then scoffed. "He doesn't even look like you."

Jake frowned. He hadn't mentioned Trixie's name or anything about their son. Sure, he could buy the fact, that she found out about his status being revoked, but not matters that concerned his personal life. "How did you know about my boy?" he asked.

Rose sighed. She had said too much. "You were looking for me right?" He nodded. "Well, I was looking for you too," she confessed. "I found you about two years ago. I kept tabs on everything."

Jake's frown deepen. "Two years ago?" It was she who nodded now.

The blonde then laid back down, her head on his chest. "Don't be mad," she asked of him. "I just had to know. And I know you know how that feels."

"Of course I do, but how?" He wanted to know how she had been keeping up with him.

"Isn't it obvious? My sister, wasn't helping you find me. She was helping me, keep track of you," she let be known. "And then, when she knew Trixie couldn't take anymore, out came a trip to Australia and you were dropped like a bad habit."

"All this time, you've been playing me," he realized.

"No, I played this for us," she tried to explain. "She trapped you into marriage, claiming that kid was yours. And knowing you, being the sweet person that you are, you probably never even questioned her about it."

"You- you bitch!" Jake roughly pushed Rose off and sat up. "You destroyed my marriage."

"No! You did that all on your own," she told him. "Because if you didn't want to be with me, you would have never accepted Daisy's offer." She then held on to him. "Please, understand, this was for us."

Jake shook his head. "No," his voice was calmer now. "You did this for you," he realized. "I would have been so much happier, if you and Daisy had never found me."

"But I would have been miserable," she admitted.

"Not my problem," his expression was cold now, his voice even.

"Jake?" she whispered, tears threatening to fall. "Please, understand-"

"Is that the time?" The question seemed random to Rose's ears as she turned and saw the clock on the wall.

"Yes," she answered.

"Good, then I guess, I've stalled you long enough," he said.

"What?" she looked at him curiously.

He then leaned in towards her and whispered huskily into her ear. "So, tell me, how's it feel to be played?" he asked before he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Rose coughed as she tried to fan away the populated air. She then gasped as she realized what happened. "A clone?" she whispered. "A fucking clone!" she said outraged as she realized the real Jake had been out and about her Academy all this time. She then rushed out of bed and quickly put on her clothes.

OoOoO

Blood. . .

It lingered in the air and burned Haley's throat with every breath that she took. It was everywhere. In her hair, on her scales. . . on her claws. She had never fought so hard, but she realized as soon as she saw that first rush of cadets charging towards her, that she was in the for the fight of her life.

Fred had not lied. Though only children, they had been trained to do one thing and one thing only. To fight. To kill. That was their goal. Haley had been pushed so hard in her training with Sun Park, but her Dragon Master had never taught her what to do in this type of situation. It wasn't in Haley's nature to kill, but she had a goal herself and they were not these children who surrounded her. Her first kill would be that of revenge for her mother. So she was out for one person and one person only and nothing would distract her from achieving it.

So she slashed and she clawed and she roared. A determination in her eyes as she wounded anyone who came close.

Jake who had found his sister after he and his clones had gone their separate ways could see the change in her. Her fighting style had changed since they use to spar against each other. It frighten him a bit as Haley look to seriously hurt several of the cadets. It looked almost like she didn't see them as people, but cardboard targets in the training room they use to practice in.

Haley could hold her own in a fight, he knew, but it was her soul that he worried about. She would not lose her innocence here. _Not here_.

Suddenly, a rush of memories flooded Jake's senses from his clone. Soft pink lips, warm gentle touches, bare flesh, and whispers of sweet nothing. "Rose- Ahhh!" he yelled out in pain, stumbling back as his hand went to cover the open wound now on his stomach.

"Grab him!" shouted a cadet as they had finally found an opening in the dragon's defense.

"Jake!" Haley yelled out for him when she saw the net thrown and several cadets tackle him to make sure he stayed down. "Get away from him, you bastards!" She tried to make her way over him, but seeing her brother being captured, threw her mind in a panic. She couldn't react. _What do I do_, was all she could think.

OoOoO

"Where is Kaden?!" Fred demanded as he slammed a scared looking nine year old against a wall. "Tell me, now!" he roared. "Or he dies."

The female cadet before him exhaled before looking at her companion being threaten. He shock his head no, but she feared for his life. She slowly lowered her weapon. "You'll find the traitor," she began, "two floors down at the end of the hall. His name is on the door." With the information the male cadet was dropped to the floor with any regard and yellow dragon was gone in a instant.

The small cadet, on his knees, had both hands around his neck as he cough air back into his depleted lungs. "Jordan, are you okay?" his friend asked him.

He nodded at first, finding he couldn't speak right away. When he was finally able to he only said two words, "Inform – Huntsman." The other cadet understanding, contacted the Huntsman right away.

Kaden's entire room was hued in red. He heard the intruder alert and wondered what was happening in the compound. But he could do nothing, but sit and wait and worry. "Kaden?!" The young Huntsman's ears perked up when he heard his name.

"Fred!" he called back, rushing to the door and pounding on it. "I'm here! Fred, I'm here!" he screamed as loud as his lungs would allow him.

"Kaden," Fred called as he reached the end of the hallway and stood on the other side of the door.

"I'm locked inside," Kaden informed him.

"Stand back," were Fred's instructions and so the other obeyed. A moment later, the door flew across the room, hitting the opposite wall with a crash. Fred stepped inside, ducking his head as to not hit the top of the door frame. He turned his head and spotted the one he had been searching for. A soft smile ran across his face as he turned back into his human form.

Kaden smiled as well as the two made there way to each other and embraced. They shared a soft kiss before Kaden rested his forehead against Fred. "I thought I would never see you again," he confessed in a whispered.

Fred gave a light chuckle. "You wish you were that lucky." They then allowed themselves another moment before pulling away from each other. "We have to find my friends." Fred took Kaden's hand and led him out into the hallway, where they began their search for Jake and Haley.

"Wait, I have an idea," Kaden announced. "We got to go this way," he told Fred before leading them down another corridor to a set a elevators. One elevator had a normal up and down button, but the other had a hand pad. Kaden placed his hand on it and it began its scan. "Hopefully, they haven't had enough time to erase me out of the system," he hoped out loud.

"Scan complete," said the computerized voice. "Access Granted to Huntsman One." The door then opened and the two stepped inside. "Destination," prompted the computer.

"Control room," was Kaden's reply. The doors soon opened and the control room was revealed, but it was not empty. Kaden held his hand out to stop Fred's advance into the room.

"We trained them well, you and I," came Eric's voice as he watched on a monitor his cadets taking on two dragons. "Who would have thought two misfits like us, could obtain such perfection with them? Our Huntsmaster would have been proud, don't you think?" He then slowly turned around. He was not surprised to see Fred alive as he had seen him earlier on his screen. "Next time, I'll be sure to cut off your head. Maybe hang it on my wall as a trophy," he directed towards the Australian Dragon.

Smoke rose from Fred's nostrils he moved forward again, only to be stopped by Kaden once more. He turned his towards him. "This is my fight," Kaden let me known. "Go help the American Dragon."

"But Kaden-"

"Please," the other urged.

And so Fred agreed. "Be careful, love," he whispered before placing a gentle kiss on Kaden's forehead. Eric shook his head in disgust.

Kaden stepped out of the elevator and the doors shut behind him. So once again, he and Eric were alone within a room with only one exit. Eric smirked as he walked to a nearby closet and opened it. Inside carried an array of Huntsclan spears. Eric pulled one out and tossed it over to Kaden, he then took a moment to pick one for himself. He turned slowly to his former friend. "You know only one of us is walking out of here alive, right?" he asked, readying himself.

"Yeah," Kaden breathed sadly as he readied himself as well, all the time trying to block out the pain of his injured shoulder. "I know."

OoOoO

He was down. Jake was down and no matter how hard Haley fought, she just couldn't reach him. "Jake!" she screamed. She couldn't see him anymore and she couldn't keep up her current pace. She had injured and disabled many, had them running back, the blood on her claws proved that, but they were a never ending sea and she was growing _so_ tired. _I can't save us_, she thought as she allowed a cadet close enough to wound her. _I'm not strong enough_, was all she could think as she was about to abandon hope. _Jake, I'm sorry_.

But suddenly, it all came back to her. "Haley! Fight, dammit!" Fred yelled at her as he dove into battle to help rescued Jake. He knocked several cadets who were surrounding Jake clear across the room.

Unlike Jake and Haley, who in the back of their minds saw children before enemy, Fred saw only the enemy and treated them as such. His strikes held no mercy, they held no compassion, they held nothing back.

Seeing this, Haley knew, it was all or nothing, because if she didn't fight with everything now, all of them would be lost. And so she pushed forwards and fought for the upper hand.

Time seemed immeasurable to the three dragons trapped behind enemy lines, but once again, their number grew. Kaden soon entered the battle, his skill above those of the cadet, held no challenge for him. But even from a far Fred could tell there was something off about him. His eyes held no emotion. Fred knew Kaden had lost something within that control room, and though he would try to help, he would if they survived, it was probably a part of Kaden he would never get back.

Then, suddenly without warning, Haley took off like a streak of lightening, her destination clear after she flew passed Fred's head. Fred seemed confused at first, but then his expression showed nothing but true horror as he realized she was heading towards Kaden.

Kaden saw her coming. . . and did nothing. He knew that one day he would have to pay for his sins. So why not here? Why not now? With the blood of his best friend still fresh on his skin? And so he closed his eyes and chose to allow this dragon, her revenge.

_What is he doing?_ Fred thought frantically, when he saw Kaden lower his weapon. He had to get to him. He was about to take off after Haley, but in his distraction, was caught off guard by a handful of cadets. He couldn't move.

"Nooooo!" came the scream, as sharp, black claws tore through flesh, but the sound did not come from Fred, but from Jake as he witnessed his sister deliver a fetal blow to Rose, who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

Then, all was quiet as each person realized what had happened. Rose had thrown herself in front of Kaden. _The traitor_. Kaden could only stare at the back of her head as she slowly dropped to her knees before him.

Haley, with shock written all over her face, took a small step back. She shook her head from side to side in disbelief. "I didn't mean. . ." came her whisper.

Rose began to fall over, but was caught by her Huntsman before she hit the ground. "Why?" Kaden asked. "Why would you- For me?" he stuttered in his speech as she lay dying in his arms.

"Because you're just like me," she answered softly, growing weak with every breath. "But unlike my story, yours can still have a happy ending." She looked to Jake, who had made his way across the room by her side. "We were wrong- _I_ was wrong, to start the Huntsclan again. We have been enslaved by our traditions, by our hate, and nothing good has come from it." She looked to her cadets. "Do not hate her," she spoke of Haley as she gave her last command. "Let my death, be the end of this. Because you all deserve, what I let go," she once again looked at Jake longingly, a light still in her eyes before they closed for the last time, for despite everything it was still there, it had always been there, ". . . _love_."

To Be Continued. . .

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**A/N: **Anonymous Reviews have been blocked. I'm tired of negative, nasty people, who don't leave a way for me to response. I'm sorry to those I am making log on to review or those who don't have accounts, know the decision was not made lightly.


	30. A Normal Life ::V1::

**A/N:** Nope, I still haven't gotten to V2 for chapter 29. I've been lazy. But know that the V2 for this chapter has been in my head since before I started writing the story, though I did think it would be Jake instead of Gregory. Oh, well.

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February 12, 2009

**Chapter Thirty: A Normal Life**

"Oww!" Trixie cried out as she stubbed her toe in the hallway of her two story home. "Frankie!" she yelled out for her youngest child, who was five years old.

Frankie poked her head out in the hallway from her bedroom. "Yes, mama?" she asked timidly.

Trixie held up a pink toy car. "What is this?" she asked her daughter. Frankie only shrugged as she told her mother she didn't know, an innocent look on her face as she did so. Trixie gave her a knowing look before walking towards her. Frankie than quickly darted back into the room she shared with her older brother, Jerry. "Frankie, I told you to clean this room before your father got home," she stated.

"Those are Jerry's toy!" she wined loudly.

Trixie gave her a sour look. "Yes, but you were the last one to play with them. Now, I'm going to go fix dinner and when I'm done this room better be clean. Do you understand?" she asked, but Frankie didn't reply. "I said, do you understand?" she repeated herself, her hand now on her hip as she stood in the doorway.

"Yes, ma'am." The little girl pouted before she went and opened the toy chest located between her and her brother's bed.

Trixie sighed as she started her way downstairs. That's when she heard the back door open and shut. "Mama!" She heard her oldest, Jerry, who was seven years old, scream at the top of his lungs as he went running to the front of the house. They met each other at the bottom of the stairs. "Daddy yelled at a teacher!" he blurted out as soon as he saw her, excitement written all over his face at the news.

"What?" Confusion was clear in her voice. It took a lot to push Gregory to the point of anger. "Go upstairs and change out of your uniform." Jerry ran passed her. "And help your sister clean that room!" she yelled behind him. "Gregory?" she called for him as she walked towards the back of the house and entered the kitchen where she found Gregory standing over the kitchen table with both hands placed on it with his head down.

Trixie smiled softly as she walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around him. "Rough day at work?" she asked.

"No," he shook his head, but even if it had been, he wouldn't have told her anyway. Gregory always made a point of keeping work and home separate.

"Then why are you going around yelling at school teachers?" she asked.

Gregory backed up, forcing Trixie to let go as he turned around to face her. He took her hand for a moment. "Sit, please," he asked her before taking a seat next to her. "We need to talk," he sounded serious.

"Okay. About what?" Trixie seemed nervous with his current demeanor.

"I've been thinking about this for a while now. Actually, truth be told, for a very long time, but I never knew how to bring it up, but after today- what happened at the school." He sighed. "I think I've put it off too long."

"Gregory, sweetie." She reached for his hand. "What is this about?"

"I want to adopt Jeremiah." He almost never called him Jerry. "I want him to have my name."

Gregory didn't miss the slight frown that appeared on Trixie's face before she spoke. "Why?" she asked. "I mean, do you really think that's necessary? I don't want to confuse him or anything."

Gregory seemed annoyed. "You know as well as I do, how smart he is," he pointed out. "That monthly bill to that fancy private school he attends proves that."

"I told you before, you didn't have to pay for his schooling. I can-" she seemed offended by his words before she was cut off.

"No, stop. You know I don't mind paying for his schooling. We've talked about this before. So please, stop trying to change the subject."

"I'm not really sure I understand the subject," she told him. "Where is this coming from?" She wanted to know.

"I got into it today with one of the teachers," he confessed. "I went to pick up Jeremiah, which of course you know I don't usually do." Trixie nodded. She usually picked up Jerry, while Gregory usually picked up Frankie from her after school day-care. "There was some miscommunication, which was not helped by the fact that I said I was there to pick up my son, who of course doesn't have the same name as I do," he sighed. "I- I lost my cool."

"That's understandable," Trixie assured him.

"You don't understand," he tried to tell her. "In his own round about way, he pretty much accused me of being some sort of pervert," Gregory said the word in disgust as Trixie slowly raised her hand to her mouth. "And he did it right there in front of the other parents. I have never been so embarrassed," he admitted. "I was about to have them call you up when one of the other parents vouched for me," he explained. "Then there was the car ride home." Trixie looked at him expectantly. "I don't even know where Jeremiah heard the word, but um he uh asked me- Jesus. He asked me what a pedophile was."

Trixie's eyebrows rose, her hand still over her mouth, because she lowed her gaze. "What did you tell him?"

Gregory looked at her like it was obvious. "I lied. I told him, it was a very naughty word and that it should never ever be repeated. _Ever_," he stressed. He then looked at Trixie curiously, as she hadn't looked back up at him. She seem to be shaking. Gregory's shoulders dropped. "You think this is funny, don't you?" he asked.

At the question, Trixie sat back in her chair and laughed out loud. "Daddy, what's a pedophile?" she teased.

"Stop making fun. It was awkward," he stated, pouting like his daughter had done only moments ago.

"Oh baby, I'm sorry." She continued to smile as she took both of her hands and brought his face close to hers and gave him an Eskimo kiss. "You're just too cute sometimes." Gregory only continued to pout. Trixie than sat back up. "You know what you need?" she asked him.

"What?"

"A movie night," she declared. "No kids. Just you and me," she suggested.

"When?" he wanted to know.

Trixie thought about it for a moment. "I can call my friend girl Belinda up tomorrow and see if she can look after them."

Gregory smiled. "What are you going to wear?"

"That bright yellow skirt," she informed him.

His smiled grew wider. "The one that's _way _too short?"

Trixie nodded slowly. "Oh, yeah."

Gregory was just about to say something in reply when both Jerry and Frankie came rushing into the kitchen. "Mom, we're hungry!" Jerry declared.

Trixie smiled at her children before getting up from the table. "Have you washed up?" she asked him and he nodded. "Good. Grab me some cream corn from the pantry."

"I want to help," Frankie said watching her brother. "Me too!"

"Grab the salt and pepper," Gregory instructed as he washed his hands in the kitchen sink.

"We have a bathroom." Trixie made him aware, but he only shrugged his indifference. She then headed to the refrigerator where she had some chicken defrosting since that morning. "Kool-aid?" called out in question.

"Red!" Jerry yelled.

"Grape," Gregory suggested.

Trixie then looked at Frankie, who looked at her brother and then her father. She frowned for a moment before making her decision. "Red!" she yelled proudly throwing her hands in the air.

"Red it is." Trixie put the chicken in the sink where Gregory started to prepare it.

"Mom, are these clean?" Jerry pointed at the dishwasher.

"Go ahead," she told him and Frankie ran over to help. "Be careful with the forks," she warned them as they got out out plates and silverware to set the table.

OoOoO

Half an hour later, the family of four sat at the kitchen table and shared a meal together. "Dad?" Jerry looked up from playing with his corn.

"Yes?" Gregory replied as he poured some more kool-aid into a little plastic cup for Frankie.

"I have a game coming up." Trixie immediately frowned. "It's the last game of the season. You think you can make it?" he asked.

"When is it?" Gregory asked.

"Thursday after next," he answered.

Gregory then gave him a curious look. "I thought you had a mathathon coming up?"

"Keep up, Greg." Trixie only shortened his name when she was annoyed at him. "That was last Monday."

Gregory made a face. "I was looking forward to that. I missed it?" Trixie nodded. He then looked down for a moment before looking at the small child seated across from him. "I will definitely make it to your next game. Promise." Jerry smiled brightly.

Underneath the table, Trixie placed her hand on Gregory's thigh, he looked over at her. She leaned into him. "Don't make a promise to him you can't keep," she whispered angrily.

"I said, I'll be there, so I will," he assured her.

"You better." She then pulled away and continued her meal.

OoOoO

Trixie stumbled through the front door of her home, high off life as she carried her stilettos in her hand. She and Gregory laughed, his hands all over her body as he guided her over to the stairs. They had just come back from the movie she had promised they would go and see, but not too surprisingly they didn't pay too much attention to it as they had had too much fun entertaining themselves. "Catch me if you can," Trixie whispered before taking off towards the stairs and running up them before continuing down the hall towards their bedroom.

"Got to be quicker than that," he warned as he took off after her.

Trixie had just managed to close the bedroom door before Gregory slammed into it no more than a second later. "Oohhh, too slow," she whispered to him as she locked the door. She then tossed her shoes in the corner and let her hair down and that's when she heard a knock at the window. She looked over curiously only to find Gregory outside of it. His large green wings disappeared as he climb into the window and with very little grace fell to the floor. Trixie laughed as she jumped into bed.

Gregory rolled over, rubbing the part of his head that hit the ground. "You tease." He narrowed his eyes at her.

Trixie stood up on the bed, both hands placed on her hips as she looked down at him. "I dare you to say that to my face," she demanded in mock anger.

The man before her accepted her challenge. He kicked off his shoes and stepped onto the bed. He towered her by a good foot. "I said," he began, but then took a moment to look her over. "God, you're sexy in that thing." He referred to her yellow skirt. He then placed his hands on either side of her stomach and pulled her towards him. "And though I love you in it." He licked his lips slowly. "It would look better on the floor." He waggled his eyebrows.

Trixie only smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. "I love you, Gregory," she told him sweetly.

"Marry me," he whispered in response. Trixie immediately jerked back. The gesture caused Gregory to lower his head. "Not really the reaction I was looking for."

"Gregory," she breathed. "You know it's not that I don't want to. It's just that, legally, I'm still married to Jake."

"I know that," he whispered. "Let's sit." And so the two settled down, the mood taking a complete 360 with the change of subject. "I've done some research and found out that after seven years," he paused, "you can declare a missing person dead."

"Jake's not dead. He just hasn't come back yet," she tried to tell him, not aware how her fingers wrapped around the pendant that hung from her neck. Gregory however did notice. Though Trixie had taken off her wedding ring the night Jake had left, the pendant always stayed. He had never asked her about it, he just assumed it was given to her by his cousin.

"We haven't heard from him in six years, Trishell," he called her by her actual name when he was irritated. "And I have waited patiently. I mean, we love each other, right?" She nodded her head to indicate it was true. "And we're raising this family together. So why not take the next step? Be my wife," he asked softly of her. "And I will proudly claim you in front of the Dragon Council along with our daughter."

"And what about Jerry?" she wanted to know.

"It's a little more complicated with him not being my direct offspring, but with him being family anyway-"

"Stop it," she cut him off. "You're not stupid. You should know by now that Jerry was never Jake's child," she confessed.

"I know," he told her. "It was the only reason I could think as to why Jake never claimed you after you were married. I just wanted to hear from you that he wasn't his."

"I'm sorry, I never told you before. I just never wanted to be questioned about his real father."

"Then tell me in your own time," he shrugged, "or not at all. You know I love him like mine anyway."

Trixie said nothing at first before she leaned into Gregory, who then wrapped his arms around her. "Then my answer is yes. I'll marry you." She closed her eyes and breathed him in as she held him as well.

OoOoO

"I know he's coming. I know it," Jerry said to himself as he stood outside in the driveway watching the corner of the street as he waited to see his father's car.

"Jerry, get out of the road!" Trixie yelled as she packed his baseball gear into the minivan. "Now!" she yelled when he hadn't moved. He then ran over to her. "Up," she said to Frankie as she climbed in and sat in her seat. Trixie made sure she was fasten in securely before turning to Jerry. Her expression saddened as he had turned to look down the street again, willing his father to appear.

"Come on, Mr. Man," she called him by the nickname she had given him as baby. "You know how busy he is on the weekdays."

"But he promised," he said sadly as his mother placed her hands on each of his shoulders and bent over to kiss the top of his head.

"I know, sweetie. And I'm sure he's very sorry. Now come on, you don't want to be late." Jerry stood there another moment. He then nodded before turning around and climbing in next to his sister.

Then, just as Trixie was about to close the door, Gregory pulled into the driveway. "Dad!" Jerry yelled out with a huge smile on his face.

"Hi, daddy!" Frankie waved excitedly.

Gregory waved back before he looked to Trixie. "Trying to leave without me?" He pretended to wipe a tear away.

Trixie grabbed his shirt and pulled him close. Gregory gave her a quick kiss. "You made it," she couldn't help the smile on her face.

"Have I ever broken a promise?" he asked her seriously.

She slightly shook her head. "No," she realized as she kissed him again.

"I'm going to be late!" Jerry pointed to his watch.

"Ticktock, ticktock," Frankie sang playfully.

"Alright then. Let's get this show on the road." Gregory closed the sliding door and Trixie walked over to the passenger side.

Gregory then opened the driver's side door and as he did so the wind picked up. He immediately froze and then sniffed the air. The scent sweeping by strangely familiar. "Sweetie?" Trixie looked at him worriedly. "Is everything okay?"

Gregory took a good look around their neighborhood and sniffed the air again, but found nothing. "Yeah, everything is fine," he finally told her, putting a smile on his face that didn't quite convince her, but she said nothing about it as he climbed into the van and began their way to the game.

OoOoO

Jake sighed as he watched the blue minivan leave his sight. The wind had changed on him and he was sure Gregory had picked up his presence, so he was quite relieved when the other appeared to just shrug it off.

Jake had been following them since he had arrived back in the country, which had been a few days now. He just simply watched them. He could hardly believe that after all this time that the two of them were still together. They seemed so happy and it bothered Jake greatly.

The former American Dragon leaned against a nearby tree, realizing in the short time he had been spying not only on Trixie and Jerry, but Gregory as well, that Gregory had once again beaten him and had given Trixie what she could never get from him. . . _a normal life_.

To Be Continued. . .

* * *

**A/N:** Okay, I'm going to attempt a fight scene between dragons in the next chapter. I'm not really good at fighting scenes, but I'm going to try. So if it sucks, I warned you.


	31. Survived

**A/N:** Okay, this was running kind of long, so I didn't get to the fight, but I promise it's coming. =D

Wow, I was hoping to have this story done by now. Sorry for being such a procrastinator. . . I can't help it. Plus, I'm thinking it may run just a _little_ over 40 chapters. I'm sorry! But thank you to all who have read and reviewed and a big thank you for those who have been with the story since the beginning. You're my heroes!

Oh, and for those who read the V2, I'm working on it, honest!

* * *

Posted: May 11, 2009

**Chapter Thirty-one: Survived**

Gregory smiled as he adjusted his rear view mirror and caught a glimpse of his daughter, who was lost in her own little world as she picked up a crayon and colored happily in her book. Gregory couldn't help, but think himself lucky, life had given him a good hand. He had two adoring children, whom made him proud with each passing day and a strong, beautiful woman, who had just agreed to be his wife. No, life couldn't get any better.

Gregory then slightly frowned as he thought about Trixie. He had been lying to her and for several years now. As soon as their daughter, Francis, had been born, securing his bloodline, he wasted no time claiming her and their family before the Dragon Council. He had never meant to lie to her about it, but as he had tried to bring it up the day after he had done so, she seemed hesitate about it because of the way things had gone down with Jake. He had tried to reassure her, but the conversation had gone downhill and so he had decided not to bring it up again.

His frown slowly began to fade as he thought of the other night as she finally agreed to marry him. And so he thought once they were official by human law, his small lie about being official by Dragon law, wouldn't matter at all.

"Daddy?" Frankie spoke, causing her father to abandon his thought.

"Yes, Francis?"

"When are we going to go get Jerry?" she asked as she continued to color.

Gregory's eye widen. "Shit," he whispered to himself. "We're on our way to get him now," he informed her as he looked for a place to turn around. For the life of him, he couldn't get used to their new schedule. He was used to picking up Frankie and heading home after work, but things had picked up for Trixie when she picked up residency at the local hospital. This would be the third time he had forgotten to pick Jerry up at this private school.

OoOoO

Jerry stood in front of the vending machine in the court yard of his school. He sighed as he pressed E7 and a bag of chips fell. He walked over to the stone tables in the middle of the court yard before taking a seat and enjoying his snack.

He turned to watch a few of the older students on the basketball court near by. He sighed before taking a look at his watch. Gregory was late. . . again, but he really didn't mind. It was a nice day and the game he was watching was getting pretty good. Moments later, Jerry felt someone stand by the table, practically blocking his light.

"Mind if I sit here?" the stranger asked. Jerry thought it kind of odd, seeing as there were plenty of other empty tables around them. "I'm waiting for my dad to come pick me up. Didn't want to sit alone," he concluded.

"Oh, I don't mind," Jerry responded as he made room for the Native American looking boy on the bench.

"I'm Joshua Longtree," he introduced himself.

"Jeremiah Long," Jerry replied. He then shrugged. "But most people call me Jerry."

"Nice to meet you." Joshua smiled. "Today was my first day. The courses here are a lot more challenging than my last school," he informed the other.

"Well, it is a school for the gifted," Jerry pointed out.

"That's what I mean," Joshua tried to explain. "It's a nice feeling, to know you're actually learning something. Something you did expect to learn."

"Yeah, it is," Jerry agreed. He then leaned back against the table. "I just wish my dad was more enthusiastic about my schooling."

Joshua arched an eyebrow. "You mean he's not?" he looked at the other in disbelief. "My dad practically cried when we got the acceptance letter. I'm even on full scholarship. I don't think he's ever been prouder."

"Well, it's not that my dad's not proud. It's just that sometimes I wish he'd show more interest."

"What-" Joshua hesitated. "And what about your mom?"

Jerry smiled over at his new friend. "My mom is great. She'd be proud of me no matter-" Jerry stopped when he saw Joshua's suddenly snap up. "Something wrong?" he asked.

Joshua quickly stood up and looked at his watch. "I'm sorry, I got to go. Maybe I'll see you later, yeah?" Jerry nodded. Joshua seemed relieved before he ran off and disappeared into the school.

Jerry thought it odd, but thought nothing more of it as he heard his name being called from the other side of the court yard. He turned to see his dad waving him over as he held Frankie's hand in the other. Jerry smiled before picking up his book bag and running over to him. As Jerry got closer, he saw a frown appear on Gregory's face. He watched as his dad tilted his head up and sniffed the air. His frown deepen as he lowered it towards Jerry and sniffed again. "Let's go home," he finally told him slowly.

"So Jerry, did you meet anyone new today?" Gregory asked later on when they were in the car riding home.

"Yeah," Jerry answered looking out the window. "A new boy, named Joshua. Kind of weird, but nice."

"I know this isn't going to make any sense to you, but I need you to stay away from that boy," he instructed his son.

Jerry's attention snapped towards the other. "Why?" he couldn't help but ask. "I liked him."

"I don't like the way his smell lingers in the air," was all of an explanation he gave.

Jerry knew full well what Gregory was. They had never kept that secret from him. Though he could say, that he had never seen his father in his true form. He asked about it a few months ago, and Gregory only promised that he would show him when he was older. He also knew when he asked a question and the answer was in riddle like form, to shut up about it. "Okay," Jerry replied. "I'll stay away," he promised.

OoOoO

"Gregory, I'm home!" Trixie yelled out when she walked into her home after getting off of work.

"Kitchen!" he yelled out.

Trixie smiled as she entered the kitchen to find Gregory helping both children with their homework. "No, no, Jerry. Just remember FOIL. First, outer, inner, last."

"I got it." Jerry worked with his head down as he concentrated on his algebra.

"Daddy, is this purple?" Frankie held out a crayon.

"No, sweetie, that's blue, but you were close." He handed her the one she actually need and she continued her coloring assignment.

"Kind of late for them to still be up, don't you think?" Trixie asked.

"Yeah, we got a little behind schedule," Gregory admitted. "You two go finish up in your bedroom. Jerry make sure you help your sister. And I'll look over your math in the morning before school, okay?" Jerry only nodded before gathering his things and doing as instructed with his sister.

"What did you cook?" Trixie asked as she washed her hands in the kitchen sink.

"Pork chops," he answered as he walked over to the microwave and warmed up her food. "Trixie, before you eat. . . I kind of have a bit of news."

"What is it?" she grabbed a fork and knife from the drawer.

"I think Jake is back in the country." He watched as the silverware clattered to the floor. Trixie then bent down to pick them up. Gregory walked over and met her there. He took a hold of her arms. "Kitten, you need to sit," he asked of her.

"So you mean you saw him? You saw Jake?" she asked as she rose back to her feet.

"No, I only smelt him," he hesitated on his next statement. "He was near Jeremiah today."

"What?" Trixie looked frighten. "How the hell did he get near Jerry?" she wanted to know.

"My best guess, a transformation potion. He disguised himself as a little boy from what I can tell."

Trixie slowly sat down at the table. "Why is he back? After all this time?" she asked out loud.

Gregory shrugged. "I don't know." He sat down with her. "The Council isn't going to know you know, but I'm going to assign protective detail to you and the children."

"I-" she couldn't find her words. "Is that really necessary?"

Gregory only looked at her oddly. "Do you really think it's not?" he asked. "Do you want him going near our kids?"

"He would never hurt them," she replied.

Gregory scoffed in disbelief. "Don't tell me, you've forgotten what he tried to do to you?"

Trixie only looked away. "He was upset and he had every right to be."

"Stop," Gregory demanded. "I know you guys were friends for a long time and it's a natural reflex to defend him, but baby, there are no excuses you can give me that will validate anything he has done," he stated. "Besides, Trishale, six years is a long time. We don't know where he's been, what he's been up to, or what he is capable of now."

"Gregory-" She shook her head.

"I'm only thinking of you and the kids," he confessed. "I don't know what I would do if anything happened to any of you." He took a hold of her face. "You got to understand that."

Trixie only looked into his eyes before she nodded. "I do. I understand."

"Do you really?" He had to be sure.

"Yes," she assured him. "But I'm afraid."

Gregory slowly released her face. "I know, that's why I'm not going to allow him to hurt you again."

"No, not of that," she corrected. "I mean, if you put someone on to watch us, what if I slip and I say something I shouldn't?" she asked. "And I know Jerry knows better, but Frankie is at an age, where she'll repeat anything she's heard." Gregory lowered his head. He hadn't thought of that. "I know more than I should about the magical world. So having a protective detail could be just as dangerous for us."

Gregory then lowered his face into his hands. "I don't know what to do then, Trixie," he admitted.

"Jake is not a bad person," she began. "We had our problems, yes, but I have to believe that. If only to stay sane." At her words the alarm on the microwave went off. They ignored it.

"My cousin is also a very jealous man," he pointed out.

Trixie then leaned back in her chair. She was exhausted. "I don't know what else you want me to say, Gregory."

He sat there in silence for a moment. "Fine." He stood up. "We'll do what you want." He then got up and grabbed her plate from the microwave. "You should eat." He put the plate down in front of her with a clean set of silverware. "I'm going to go upstairs and get Jeremiah and Francis ready for bed." He bent down and kissed the top of her head. "I love you," he whispered before heading upstairs.

Trixie waited until she could no longer hear Gregory's footsteps. She stood up, her food untouched as she went to the kitchen sink and looked out the open window into the night sky. "Jake," she called softly into the night allowing the wind to carry the name.

_Trixie. . ._

Startled, Trixie took a step away from the window when she heard the wind call back. "Get a hold of yourself," she said out loud before closing the window and heading back to the table to finish her dinner.

OoOoO

"Step away from my son," Gregory growled. Jerry's eyes widen as he had never heard his father sound so harsh. "This has gone on long enough."

Jerry looked to his new friend, Joshua, and wonder what it was about him that Gregory didn't like. Jerry had never meant to break his promise to him, but Joshua had approached him earlier in the day, and though they didn't have any classes together, they saw each other between them and at lunch. Jerry found that he enjoyed the other's company and figured what was the harm of befriending him.

Jerry then watched and gasped in surprised when Joshua stood up and his form changed before his eyes. "_Your _son?" the man sound angry. "He was my son until you stole him from me."

"Dad?" Jerry spoke, his eyes not leaving the stranger, who seemed almost familiar somehow. "What's going on?"

"Jeremiah, over here now!" Gregory barked. Jerry jumped at the command, but quickly obeyed. "I told you to stay away from him," Gregory whispered when he was close enough before taking a hold of him. Now sure that he was safe, along with Frankie, who had his other hand, Gregory looked back to his cousin. "And I told you to never come back."

"I'm not going to allow you to continue to keep what's mine," Jake told him.

"Jacob Long, I _will not_ have this conversation with you. Not here. Not now," Gregory let be known.

Jake opened his mouth to speak, but then caught a glimpse at the little girl standing beside Gregory. He had never seen her up this close before. It was the first time he had had the chance to _really _look at her.

"Daddy?" Frankie didn't like the way she was being looked at so intensely. She tired to hide behind her father. "He's scary," she whispered to him. "Make him go away."

"Her face," Jake whispered to himself. "I've seen her face before." He tried to tell himself that maybe he saw Trixie in her, but it was more than that, he just couldn't place it. He took a few steps forward, hoping to get a closer look, in hopes he would remember.

"Stay right there." Jake quickly looked back up, surprise in his eyes, as if he had forgotten Gregory was there at all.

A nasty look then appeared on Jake's face. "Are you really worried about me, here, in front of you?" he asked.

Gregory arched an eyebrow at the question. A donning looked then filtered his expression. "Trixie!" He then quickly turned around and jetted towards the car, almost dragging Jerry and Frankie behind him, before heading home as fast as he could.

Jake stood in the court yard for only a moment more before he pooffed out of existence.

OoOoO

Trixie had gotten off work early and headed towards the kitchen to get dinner ready for when Gregory and the kids got home. As she was getting started there came a knock at the front door. "Be right there!" she yelled out as she grabbed a dish towel and cleaned her hands before heading to the front of the house. She opened the door and stood frozen there. "Jake," she whispered. Her brow then furrowed. "I told you, I never wanted to see you again. It still holds true." She went to close the door.

Jake's hand shot out and he kept it from closing. "Trixie, please," he begged. "You got to know how sorry I am for that night."

"Move, Jake!" she yelled at him.

"Please! I've missed you," he cried.

"Well, I haven't missed you," she replied. "I'm happy with the way my life is, right now. And guess what? It had _nothing _to do with you."

"Just hear me out, okay?" he asked of her. She looked annoyed. "Please, baby girl." He reached out for her.

"No!" she smacked his hand away. "You don't get to call me that anymore. You lost all right to call me anything when you walked out on me."

Jake looked angry at her words. "Maybe I left you, because you didn't give me a reason to stay," he argued.

"You fucker!" she spit. "I loved you, you asshole!" she admitted. "And you treated me like shit. You even took advantage of the fact that I loved you."

"Alright, I know maybe I was wrong-"

"Maybe?"

"Okay, I was wrong. I know that now," he told her, tears starting to appear in his eyes. "And I want a chance to fix it."

Trixie shook her head. "You can't fix it, Jake," she said softly. "It's too late and it's been too late for a long time. I don't know if you have noticed, but I'm with Gregory now, I have a family with him. And I love him. So you need to face the facts about that and dammit since you're here, give me my fucking divorce."

"I can't do that," he told her.

"Why not?" she asked.

"Because I know that it's late, but I do love you," he finally admitted.

"And I don't care," she said sharply. "Now go away." She went to close the door again.

"No, wait!" He lunged forward once again stopping the door from closing in his face.

"What, Jake? What do you want from me?" She wanted to know.

"That can't be how you really feel." He refused to believe it.

"Well, it is," she confirmed.

"Fine," he said softly. He then came just a little closer. "Then look me in the eye, one last time, and if you can say it and actually mean it," he paused. "I'll give you your divorce and never bother you again," he promised. "So go on," he urged. "Tell me, tell me there's nothing left between us."

"There's noth-" was about as far as she got before Jake's lips landed on her own. There was an instant rush of fever as she felt Jake wrap one arm around her as he slightly picked her up and carried her inside of her home. He went straight back, bumping into the table that stood beside the staircase. Trixie reached behind her, knocking down the glass flower vase, a set of keys, and a few magazines that had sat on top of it.

Jake placed her on the table and kissed her like he would never be able to do so again, because for all he knew, this just might be the last time, and he was going to make every moment count. He expected Trixie to come to her senses any moment now and push him away, but he was surprised and secretly relieved when he felt Trixie's hands in his hair and her legs coil around his body pulling him closer.

Trixie moaned softly as the kiss intensified, she had almost forgotten what one of his kisses did to her. She then slightly pulled away and lifted her head, exposing her neck to her estrange husband, who wasted no time as he attached himself to it. He then bit gently into her skin. Trixie gasped and roughly pushed him away. With her hand extended out and her chest heavy she whispered breathlessly, "No."

Jake reached out for her hand and placed it on his chest and held it there. Trixie could feel his rapid heartbeat underneath his shirt. He then took his other hand and slowly placed it on her chest and felt her heartbeat as well. Trixie looked down at his hand on her chest and saw his wedding band. . . he had never taken it off.

The former American Dragon's face was full of fear as he waited for his wife to do something. . . anything. He held his breath as he watched her raise her hand. She then gently rested hers on top of his. Jake smiled softly as Trixie's eyes finally caught his own. No words had to be said, for even after everything, they realized their childhood vow and their bond had still. . . _survived_.

To Be Continued. . .

* * *

**A/N:** Okay, I'm getting ready for a move at the end of the month. No idea when I'll have the internet, but if I'm forced not to have it, I can't procrastinate when it comes to writing. lol

Oh, and for those who go to Neopets, the Altador Cup is coming, support Terror Mountain!


	32. On Trial

**A/N:** I tired the fighting scene, I did, but I was just not happy with it. So I took it all out. I am sorry. Maybe one day I will try again. . . but don't expect it to be anytime soon.

* * *

Posted: June 19, 2009

**Chapter Thirty-two: On Trial**

"Stay in the car for a minute," Gregory told Jerry and Frankie as he saw Jerry trying to get out of his seatbelt when they pulled into the driveway of their home.

"Dad, what's going on?" Jerry finally asked. He had been quiet for the entire car trip, afraid to speak, as his father drove like a mad man as they raced towards their destination. "Who was that man?"

Gregory turned around. "He is someone from me and your mom's past," he told him the truth. "Someone we don't want in our lives anymore."

"Why?" Frankie asked. "Was he bad?"

Gregory hesitated. "It's complicated, sweetie," he told her. "Jerry," he looked to the boy he long considered his own. "If you see him again-" he didn't know what to say. "Run." He decided was the best word. "Just take your sister to the neighbor's and contact Grandma Kathy or cousin Haley, okay?"

"But he changes form, how will I know it's him?" he asked.

Gregory slowly turned to his young child. "Frankie, do you remember his smell?" he wondered if she was old enough to sense another dragon and felt a great deal of pride when she nodded indicating she knew Jake's scent. "Rely on each other." Were his words.

"I don't like this," Jerry spoke. He knew he wasn't getting the whole story.

"Neither do I," Gregory responded as he got out the car and headed towards the front door. With his key in his hand, he went to unlock the door and was surprised to find that it was not only unlocked, but slightly opened as well. It wasn't like Trixie to leave the doors open. She grew up in Brooklyn. "Trixie," he called out as he opened the door.

And that's where he paused as he noticed the broken glass on the floor. He sniffed the air, Jake had been here and at that realization, panic kicked in. "Trixie!" he yelled out, running towards the kitchen, where their family normally gravitated to instead of the living room. He found what looked to be her starting dinner, but the task seemed abandoned. "Trixie!" he yelled out again. "I swear to God if he has touched you," he said to himself.

"Gregory?" Trixie appeared at the end of the staircase in a house robe, her hair up. Then, in the time in took to blink, Gregory had her in his arms. "Why didn't you answer me?" he asked.

"I didn't hear you," she told him. "I just stepped out the shower." She then looked around. "Where are the kids?" she asked.

"In the car," he answered. He then pulled away and looked down at her. "Jake was here," he stated.

"Yes," she answered simply though she knew it wasn't a question. "Go get the kids. I'm going to finish getting dress and then clean up this mess when I come back down." Gregory nodded before heading back out the house.

OoOoO

It was near nine o'clock and Frankie and Jerry were already tucked in for the night as Trixie and Gregory got ready for bed themselves. "We should talk," Trixie spoke gently. After Gregory had gotten the kids out the car, he spent a lot of time trying to convince them that everything was okay, but like Gregory, Frankie had sense Jake in the house and was frighten. And finally, he was able to calm her down enough to get her asleep.

Gregory sat down on the bed with his back to her. "I'm not stupid," he finally said.

"I know that," she told him, climbing into the other side of the bed.

"Really? Because you had me fooled," his voice was even as he spoken, eerily calm. "I didn't notice it before, because I was glad you were okay, but Jake was in our house today and you didn't seem to upset about it. Not only that, but when you came downstairs, you said you didn't hear me because you were taking a shower - in the middle of the day – a shower," he paused. "You usually wait on a shower till before bed." He then turned and looked directly at her. "Or after we've made love."

Trixie shallowed hard and licked her lips, which suddenly felt dry at the harsh look she was receiving from Gregory. "It's not what you think," she wanted him to know.

"And what am I thinking?" he asked.

"You think that I had sex with Jake and that I was washing off his scent," she answered. "I didn't have sex with him," she told him. "But I was washing off his scent."

Gregory's face soften as she spoke. "If you didn't have sex then why would-" he began, but stopped, remembering the broken vase. "Did he try to hurt you? Is that what you are hiding from me?"

"No," she replied, but it went unheard.

"Because if he's touched you in any way, I promise, I _will_ kill him," he said it so matter-of-factly that Trixie couldn't help, but think his words true, for he had never broken a promise. But then again, lying would do no good in the long run.

"I had to take a shower because he kissed me," she let be known. "It was only a kiss."

"Did you kiss him back?" he asked.

Trixie looked distraught. "He forced himself into the house, breaking my favorite vase. He pushed me on the table and practically pinned me against the wall." She closed her eyes. "I wasn't thinking straight," she said slowly. "So I may of. . . yes, I kissed him back," she told him. Gregory looked away, nodding his head slowly as he absorbed the information. "But I pushed him away. I swear I did!" She wanted- No, _needed, _him to know that. "After that, he mostly just wanted to talk."

"What could he possibly want to talk about?" Gregory asked.

"He um, wanted me to forgive him," she began, finding she could no longer look at the man in front of her. "He told me- he told me he loved me. I think he wanted me back."

"I hope you told him where he can shove it."

Trixie looked back at him. "I tried, but it didn't really turn out that way."

"What do you mean?" He wanted her to explain.

"I didn't realize, until I saw him today, how much I had missed him," she told him truthfully.

Gregory stared at her for a moment. "What are you trying to say?" He didn't understand.

"I'm just trying to be honest," she replied.

"Are- are you trying to tell me," he didn't want to say the words, "that you're still in love with him or something?" There was silence. Gregory gave an empty laugh as he stood up. "Wow," he said in disbelief.

"That's not a fair question, Gregory," she finally spoke. "You know I love you."

"But?" He wanted her to continue.

"He's my husband," she finally said the words.

"Your-" he stopped and began to pace. "Your husband? I can't believe you just- after everything- you just-" He rambled to himself. He then stopped and turned back to her. "I'm the father of your daughter," he began. "The man who has been by your side for the last six years. The man who has shown you more love in those six years, then _that boy_," he stressed, "who has known you his entire life ever has." He was upset. "I don't understand, you say you love me, and then you throw Jake in my face?"

"Me and Jake-"

"No," he interrupted her. He had had enough. "I don't want to hear about you and Jake. There is no longer suppose to be a you and Jake. It's suppose to be you and me!" He yelled, pointing to himself rapidly. "I am so tired of living and fighting with your constant memory of him," he told her. "There are days when you look at me and I swear you wish I was him." His face read of pain. "Do you know how that makes me feel? Knowing you love someone else? Do you?"

At his question, Trixie thought back to when she and Jake lived together and how she knew that Jake wished she was Rose. The feeling was heartbreaking. And to think, she had been doing the same thing to Gregory without even realizing. "I mean," he continued. "Are you just biding your time, until you and Jake are together again? Am I anything to you?"

"Gregory-" she was interrupted.

"Be careful how you answer this question," he warned her and she knew that their future rested on what she said next.

Trixie stood up and walked around to the other side of the room where she stood before Gregory. "You know Jake is my past," she began softly. "I can't erase that."

Gregory slowly blinked taking a long breath. "You don't even have to finish," he told her. "I know the end when I hear it." He went to turn around.

"No," she reached out and grabbed him. "You need to let me finish," she demanded. He didn't move and she gently released him. "Jake is my past," she began again. "And I won't lie, I do love him," she admitted. "But you, you are not only my now, but my future." She reached up with both hands and took his face in her touch. "And you're right, you have loved me more than anyone ever has. More than Jake, more than my parents, even more than-" she paused, "more than Jerry's biological father. For unlike either of them, when I wake up in the morning, I don't ever have to worry about you not being there." Gregory looked at her oddly with that statement, but let her continue. "And for that, I can honestly say, you are the love of my life. And I'm not going to give you up for anyone. So I'm sorry, but you're stuck with me."

The man before her didn't know how to response. He seemed generally surprised.

"Please," Trixie spoke again. "Let's just put this behind us," she asked of him. She then backed up taking one of his hands with both of hers. "And let's just go bed," she suggested. She gently pulled, but Gregory stood his ground.

"I don't want him near you," he finally voiced his thoughts. "I don't want him in our home, near our kids, or in our lives," he clarified. "And I plan on making that happen." His blank expression reappeared. He was serious.

"How?" she was almost afraid to ask, concern written all over her face.

"By bringing him down and taking him before the World Dragon Council," he revealed.

"What will happen to him, if you do that?" she asked, trying not to sound too worried about Jake's safety.

"Not if," Gregory corrected. "When," was his only answered before he slipped his hand out of Trixie's and laid down for the night.

OoOoO

How did she allow things to get this far? Trixie couldn't help but wonder as she secretly met with Jake. He had called her up on her way home from work at the hospital asking her to meet him at a hotel that was on route. Not liking that idea, Trixie suggested a park that was actually on the other side of town. Jake didn't seem too pleased with the idea, but he held his tongue and did what would make her comfortable.

They sat beside each other on the park bench. Trixie keeping what she considered a safe distanced from him. She wasn't sure if she trusted getting too close to him. "I want you to leave Gregory," he got straight to the point. "I want us to move back to Brooklyn. You, me, and both the kids."

Trixie looked at him like he was out of his mind. "You're kidding me, right? You can't honestly think that one little kiss was going to change my mind about anything."

"It was more than a kiss." He sat just a little closer to her. "I felt something and I know you did too."

"Yes, I did," she didn't lie. "But I love Gregory. He's my life now." She shook her head. "And I'm not leaving him." They were not the words that Jake wanted to hear. "And I think it would be best if you didn't come around anymore." She lowered her head. "Or called or made any kind of contract with me or Jerry."

"No," was Jake's answered. "I've been without you too long to just walk away after I've found you."

Trixie then looked at him once again. Why was he so determined? "What about Rose?" she questioned. "The very reason you walked out on us in the first place. Why would I take another chance on you, knowing you could do it again?"

"Because I wouldn't. Rose is dead," Jake replied sadly. "She was killed in an accident several years ago. After her death, I was devastated. Haley wanted me to come back with her, but I couldn't. I didn't have anything to return to."

"That's a lie!" Trixie was outraged. "You had me! You had Jerry!"

"No, I didn't. Gregory had you!" he yelled back. "And I was left with nothing!"

"And that was your own damn fault!" she replied. "Everything you got or didn't get it, was of your own doing." She stood up, glancing at the sky. Rain clouds were starting to fill the the darkening horizon. "This was a mistake," she said to herself. "I shouldn't have come here." She then looked to Jake. "I'm done with you," she said simply.

"Fine," Jake rose, his voice cold as he spoke. "You want this over? Then it's over. I'll even give you your precious divorce."

Trixie seemed surprised. Jake was actually giving up on their marriage, but this was what she wanted, right? So if it was, why did she feel like crying. "Jake, I-"

"But I'm filing for full custody of Jerry," he announced.

"What?!" Trixie screeched out. "Hell no! I am not giving up my son. Besides, he doesn't even know you. Gregory is the only father he has ever known."

"And whose fault is that?" Jake asked.

"Yours!" she replied.

"No, that would be my cousin," Jake corrected. "I called, I sent gifts and birthday cards, I even wrote letters, until you guys moved. I then sent them to Haley to give to you, but of course, they never got passed Gregory. I tried to stay in touch, but I wasn't allowed to. Gregory is the reason, Jerry never got to know me," he explained.

"No, you are the reason Jerry never got to know you." It was Trixie's turn to do the correcting. "You are the one that left Jake. You!" She poked him hard in the chest. "And I don't blame Gregory for what he did, because if he had given them to me, I would have thrown them out myself." She could see the hurt on Jake's face. "And if you want a custody battle over Jerry, bring it, because no judge in their right mind, is going to take a child out of a loving, stable environment, and hand him over to a man who hasn't had a proper home in over six years." She then side stepped him about to walk away.

"This isn't over," he whispered harshly as he grabbed her arm.

"Please," she whispered, her tone completely different then before. It was almost as if she were afraid, but it wasn't for herself. "Just walk away. Let go and walk away," she begged of him.

Jake's expression read of confusion, but before he could voice it, "Jacob Luke Long!" As his name was yelled, lightening streaked across the still darkening skies. "You are wanted for questioning by order of the WDC."

Jake turned to see three DOS Agents behind him, all in dragon form. One of them just happened to be his cousin, Gregory Huang. Jake looked to Trixie. "You've betrayed me," he accused, his anger clear.

"Maybe, but at least my betrayal didn't end in bloodshed," she replied as she yanked her arm out of Jake's tight grip. She then walked away leaving his sight all together.

"Come along peacefully, Jake," Gregory spoke. Rain gently began to fall upon the four remaining in the park. "Let's not make this any more difficult than it has to be."

"Difficult?" Jake laughed. "Yeah right, I'm sure you're loving every minute of this. I even bet you think you've won. You got my wife, my kid, you're damn near living my life, but you know what you've forgotten?" he asked before morphing into his alternate form. "I'm still the better dragon!"

At that moment, Jake rammed head first into Gregory sending the two rolling across the wet grass. "Huang!" one of the other agents cried out ready to assist.

"No!" Gregory called back when he and Jake came to a stop. "This is my fight!" he answered, picking himself off the ground as Jake did the same. They then faced each other and merely stared the other down for a moment as the rain began to pour. "So it's come to this, has it?"

"There was never anywhere else for it to go," Jake replied. Gregory only nodded. Then as the thunder roared, each took it like a bell for a boxer, and charged each other with full force.

OoOoO

Jake stood before the seven members that made up the World Dragon Council bloodied and bruised. He was still in disbelief that Gregory had won their fight, but that was okay because Jake still had one more surprise up his sleeve. Jake inwardly smirked as Gregory stood opposite of him on the other side of the room.

"I present to you, Jacob Luke Long, of the Luong bloodline," Gregory's voice was clear as he spoke.

One of the Councilmen cleared his throat. "Do you know why you are here, Mr. Long?" he asked, his Scottish accent thick.

"Because you believe I abandon my post. You think I went AWOL -Absence without leave," he answered.

"Oh no, I don't think, I know you abandon your post," the Scottish Councilmen seemed annoyed at the young dragon's arrogance. "You have not appeared before this Council in nearly seven years. How do you explain yourself?" he questioned.

Jake said nothing at first. He then eyed each one of the Council members, his gaze resting on the one at the end. She nodded slightly and Jake sighed in relief almost as if a burden was lifted off his shoulders.

"I was not allowed to say anything before today, but I was under strict instruction. I was put on a highly classified mission. And while on this mission I reported to one person and one person alone," he explained.

"We are the highest court in the Magical World. Nothing is above us, so who gave you such a mission, what was it, and why were we left in the dark?" demanded one of the Councilwomen, with an Arabic accent.

"I gave him such a mission," spoke the Councilwoman on the end.

"Councilwoman Park?" the Scottish Councilmen questioned.

Sun Park, had been a Council member for nearly ten years. When she took the position, she told them she would not give up her duties as a Dragon Master to the young Haley Long. The terms were accepted.

After Daisy had approached Jake about helping her find her sister Rose, Sun Park was the person Jake had gone to for advice. He would have gone to his grandfather, Lao Shi, but things between them had gotten tense.

Jake had been torn, he wanted to go after Rose, but he didn't want to abandon Trixie or the baby he had promised to help raise. Sun Park told him she couldn't make the decision for him, which isn't what Jake wanted to here. But finally he made a decision, which wasn't a decision at all as concluded that he could do both.

With wind that members of the once thought gone Huntsclan could still be out there, Sun Park asked Jake, to record everything that he did when it came to them. Jake agreed, but she also wanted to keep everything quiet in case nothing big came out of it. She asked for his silence when it came to the matter and he agreed to it as well, just as long as she helped him out in anything that befall him. She agreed and so a deal was made.

"Long was under my instruction. It was a small mission that may have led to knowledge of surviving Huntsclan members, but as you see things got more complicated as he got deeper into it," she explained.

The Scottish Councilmen looked skeptical. "Do you have anything but your word to back up this claim?" he wanted to know.

Sun Park smiled. "Of course." She reached for the bag that laid beside her chair and pulled out a thick binder filled with many papers. "These are reports Jake has written since he started this mission." She stood and slid the heavy book down the table. "Look for yourself. They are all dated and in proper order. Each one of his days are accounted. He was never AWOL."

"This is ridiculous," Gregory spoke out. "We had half the Magical World looking for him, thinking he was a threat. The next Dark Dragon even. Are you telling me it was all a waste of time?" He couldn't believe what was happening.

"DOS Huang does have a point," said a Councilmen with a slight French accent. "If Long was no threat, then we have wasted countless resources on his behalf, which would have never happened if we were in the know, Councilwoman Park."

Sun Park dipped her head. "Maybe it was foolish of me to not include the rest of the Council, but his mission was vital, and I did not want it compromised if we could not all agree on the next course of action. I gave American Dragon Jake Long-"

"No!" Gregory suddenly yelled out causing all eyes to turn towards him. "That title is no longer his," he reminded them.

The Scottish Councilmen flipped through the reports casually. "Actually, everything seems to be on the up and up here and Council members are entitled to their own projects." He then looked to Sun Park. "I assume you filled out the proper paper work for that?" She nodded in reply. "And I have a feeling that the youngest Long will not contest to giving her title back to her brother." She shook her head.

The only other woman on the Council spoke. "Pending the verification of these reports, Long will assume his duties as the American Dragon."

"You have got to be kidding me," Gregory spoke to himself. He couldn't believe Jake was going to escape punishment.

"Now if there is no other business to discuss," her accent was becoming thick, showing her tiredness as she picked up her gravel.

"Actually, Councilwoman." Jake stopped her before she could slam down the gravel. "There is one more matter I would like to discuss before ending the day if you don't mind." Gregory shook his head. He was ready for all this to be over. "I would like to make a claim."

Gregory laughed. "I hope you don't plan on claiming _my_ wife," he told him.

Jake took a deep breath and exhaled. He then turned and looked at his cousin. "Just let me do this," he said softly, "and everything will be okay."

"You trying to claim a woman who has already been claimed before the Council is not okay," Gregory told him.

"I have her by human law and you by dragon," Jake reminded him. "Forfeit your claim and I will forgive you."

Gregory cocked an eye in confusion, but he soon recovered. "You forget, Francis is my child and I have a legitimate claim. Jeremiah isn't even yours, so without securing your bloodline you have nothing!" Gregory spat.

"What is going on here?" asked one of the Council members.

"I wish to make a claim," Jake repeated.

"No, he doesn't," Gregory countered. "He is trying to claim my wife," he explained.

"Jake," Sun Park looked to him. "You know that isn't possible. I know your Dragon Master well and I am positive he made sure you were well verse with our laws."

"Yes, he did." Jake took another look at his cousin and whispered, "You made me do this." He then turned back to the Council. "Which is is why I am claiming Trishale Carter, of human decent, because my cousin, is in violation of Article a hundred and twenty dash two."

There were several gasps heard from the direction the Council. "That is a very serious charge Mr. Long," the Scottish Councilman informed him.

"I know."

The Councilman then turned to Gregory. "What do you have to say about this DOS Huang?"

Gregory stood there in shock. "I uh-" he shallowed. "It's a lie!" he finally got out.

"No, it's not," Jake begin. "My wife, under human law, became pregnant by DOS Huang, while he was on duty disguised as me," Jake revealed. "She thought you were me and you took advantage of her and after she gave birth, you claimed her!" Jake was clearly upset.

The Councilwoman with the Arabic accent looked at Gregory with disgust. "You do know a child who is a product of that article can not be claimed by the father and to do so is a punishable offense, don't you DOS Huang?"

"That's not how it happened," he needed to explain. "Trixie and I-"

Sun Park held up her hand and Gregory fell silent. "Just answer three simply questions," she ordered him. "The day your daughter was conceived were you on duty?"

"Yes, but-" he tried to explain again, but again, he was instructed to remain silent.

"These are yes or no questions," she told him. "Did you or did you not stand before us and claim Trishale Carter of human decent?"

"Yes," he replied.

"Last question. The day your daughter was conceived was the human aware you were Gregory Huang?" Gregory pursed his lips together before lowering his head.

"You must answer the question," said another Council member. "Did she know you were Gregory Huang?"

Gregory looked to Jake and slowly back to the World Dragon Council. He then lowered his head in shame. "No," he finally answered softly.

"I don't think they heard you," Jake said to him. "And I really think they need to hear your answer."

"No," Gregory said loud enough for all to hear. "She didn't know it was me at the time." He then turned desperately back to the Council. "But later on, she did and we have been together ever since. We're raising this family together and she's happy-"

"Stop right there, Huang," Gregory did not miss the absence of his title as the Councilwoman spoke. "By your own admission you have broken a great law. And so by them, Long has every right to claim his human wife."

"Wait," interrupted the French Councilman, who was the youngest of them. "Did I not hear someone say that even the other child is not Long's as well?" he questioned.

"True," Sun Park answered him. "But since Francis can not be claimed by her biological father, Jake can under Article one twenty dash two dash one since he and Gregory are blood related themselves, therefore securing the Luong bloodline even if it falls on another branch," she explained.

"Ah, yes, I remember now," the Frenchman replied.

"Council," Jake drew their attention back to him. "If I could?"

The World Dragon Council looked amongst themselves. "I see no reason why not."

"I, _American Dragon_," he stressed the two words as he looked over at Gregory, "Jacob Luke Long, of the Luong bloodline, claim Trishale Carter. . ."

Jake went on, but Gregory was no longer paying attention as he fumed in anger. How did this happen? He couldn't help but wonder. No less than a week ago, everything in Greogory's life was near perfect and then somehow Jake had managed to walk back in and ruin everything!

And Gregory knew this was far from over, he had quite the road ahead, because there was no way he could have known that bringing in Jake before the World Dragon Council that he himself would be the one. . . _on trial._

To Be Continued. . .

* * *

**A/N:** Wow, with this chapter out the way, I feel so relieved. I think I can still do this in 40 chapters. I'm excited. =D

Oh, I did base Article 120 off of Military Law, so if you didn't get it, you can look it up. But the 120-2-1, was made up. The Magical World does have their own set of laws, of course.


	33. Revenge

Posted: July 23, 2009

**Chapter Thirty-three: Revenge**

Gregory sighed softly as he stood in his bedroom that he shared with Trixie and quietly watched her sleep. He smiled as she snorted a little. She was so precious to him. He had really lucked out, that someone like her could love someone like him. He was going to miss her so much.

After the trial, his verdict had been laid down quickly. Rape, no matter what the form, was simply not tolerated within the magical world. It, coupled with claiming the child that had been a product of that act, had truly landed him in hot water. His punishment had been castration. He remembered immediately feeling sick at the judgment. He wasn't in shock of the punishment, he knew what it would be. The real shock didn't occur until he heard Jake protest.

Gregory could only watch, in pure awe, as his cousin passionately defended him. "The punishment is too harsh!" he remembered Jake barking out. The council argued with him, stating the rules were clear, especially for one who had confessed to it.

"Please, I beg you," he took a few steps towards them. "The victim is my wife and though I hate to admit it," his head turned towards Gregory, "she loves this man." He turned back to the council. "I speak, not only for myself, but for the victim. She would not want this, and frankly neither do I. And as the injured party, I have a say in the punishment."

Jake was right, of course, he did have a say. It's just usually, the injured party always agreed with whatever the council decided.

"Then what do you propose?" asked one of the council members.

"A GL Ban for my wife, but not children," he suggested.

"You do realize this is unprecedented, yes?"

"Yes, but please understand, though he has done me wrong, he is still my blood. And I honestly want to see him happy. . . just not with what is mine. So please," he begged again. "The punishment is too harsh."

Then before Gregory knew it, his punishment had been changed. Jake even suggested that it not go into affect until Gregory was able to say goodbye to Trixie. He hated Jake for what had taken place, but he was thankful for that much.

"Kitten," he called softly as he sat down beside her and gently woke her up. "Sweetie, we need to talk."

Trixie yawned and stretched her body before she gave Gregory an annoyed look. "What is it, Gregory?" She then turned her head to look at the clock. She groaned. "God, it's four in the morning. Can't it wait?" she asked as she began to turn around and go back asleep.

"No, it can't." There was something in his voice, that snapped her to attention.

She sat up. "What's wrong?" she asked.

Gregory slowly lowered his head. "Would you have ever been with me, if I hadn't disguised myself as Jake first?" he asked.

Trixie was taken back by the question. "That's kind of out of the blue," she stated. "Where is this coming from?"

"I just need you to be honest with me," he asked of her. "If it weren't for my lack of judgment that day. If I hadn't confronted you in the garage a little later on. . . would we be together right now?"

"Gregory, I don't see how-"

"Just answer the question!" He needed to know.

Trixie sat there for a moment, giving it real thought. "No," she finally whispered. "Most likely, I would have slept with Alex that day. I still would have left Jake. And if that had happened, I believe, I would be with Alex now," she gave him the facts.

Trixie watched at Gregory lowered his head into both of his hands and began to sob. "Baby?" She wrapped her arms around him. "I'm sorry," she said immediately. "I take it back," she told him. "I didn't mean it. I'm sure, somehow, we would have ended up together anyway." His whole body shook. "Gregory, please, just tell me what's wrong!"

He didn't answer her at first, he just continued to cry as he wrapped his arms around her and allowed her to rock him back and forth. Jake had been right, Trixie had been a victim of his actions. They were never suppose to be together.

Eventually, his crying subsided, but Trixie continued to comfort him. Then finally, he found his voice again. "There was a trial," he began, and Trixie couldn't help, but look at him curiously, he usually didn't talk about work. "They issued a GL Ban."

"What's a GL Ban?" she stroked his hair lovingly.

"It's when one person is banned from seeing the other. A spell is cast and those two people could be in the same room, be the only people in that room, and never see the other. They are ghost to each other," he explained. "A Ghost Life Ban."

"You're talking about Jake's trial, right? A GL Ban, seems a bit excessive, but we haven't seen him in nearly seven years and didn't think we would ever again. So I don't understand what's wrong."

"It's wasn't Jake's trial. It was mine. I was issued the Ban." His voice cracked. "After today. . . I'll never see you again."

Trixie's felt her stomach drop. "What?" She pushed Gregory to arm length and looked upon his face. "What in the world are you talking about? What the hell happened!" she demanded, tears brimming in her eyes, but refusing to fall.

"It just all went down hell so quickly," he didn't know where to begin. "I was accused of raping you and claiming the child who was a product of it."

"You haven't claimed her or me before the council yet." He gave her a frightened looked. "You didn't." Her shoulders dropped.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I claimed this family, a week after Francis was born. You have," he paused, "had been my wife, by Dragon Law since then."

"You-you lied to me?" she looked hurt. "Why?"

"You just seem so hesitate. And I didn't want it to appear that I was ashamed for loving a human."

Trixie was silent for a moment. "How do I explain this to Jerry and Francis?"

"They will still be able to see me. Jake actually saw to that. I can still be a part of both their lives. . . just not yours."

"That selfish bastard. What am I suppose to do without you?" She finally let the tears fall.

Gregory leaned over and kissed her damp cheeks. "Please, don't cry," he begged, hating to see her so sad.

"How can I not?" she asked. "When things are so bad?"

"Because it gets worst."

Trixie wiped away her tears. "How? How can things be worst?"

He didn't want to answer, but knew he had too. "Jake has claimed you."

Trixie didn't even know how to react anymore. She eventually just moved closer and rested her head on Gregory's shoulder. "Please, just hold me," she asked of him. "Tighter." And for a long time, that's exactly what he did.

OoOoO

Jerry woke to the smell of bacon. It was still early and it was the weekend, so he saw no need to wake his sister. He quickly got out of bed and started his way towards the bathroom, when he saw that his parent's room door was opened. Inside he saw Gregory packing a suitcase.

"Dad?" he called from the door. "Where are you going?"

Gregory jumped when he heard the question. "Jeremiah, I didn't see you there," he said as Jerry came closer. "I'm just packing a few things. I can't be here right now," he told him. As soon as the light had touched the horizon, she had disappeared before his eyes and knowing that Trixie was in the same house and not being able to see her was slowly driving him insane.

"You're leaving?"

Gregory stopped what he was doing and looked to the child he had considered his own for so long. He sat down and placed Jerry on his lap. He figured, he was going to know soon enough, so he might as well learn it now. "Me and your mom, we aren't going to be together anymore." He took a breath. This was hard. "I did something wrong, a long time ago, and because of that, I have to go away now."

"Is mommy mad at you?" he didn't understand.

"Not at me, but other people are. Other people from my world."

"The magical world."

"Yeah." Gregory nodded. "So, me and your mom, we aren't allowed to see each other anymore. So I'm going to be living across town."

"What about me and Frankie?" he asked.

"You're going to be staying here with your mom," he told him.

Jerry looked with his next question. "Will we see you again?"

"Yes, of course, whenever you want. Just call me on my cell," he reassured him.

"What did you do wrong?" Jerry asked him.

Gregory debated what to say. "Ask me again, when you're older and I swear I'll explain everything, okay?" Jerry nodded. "There's something else you should know. Remember that man, I told you to run from if you ever saw him?"

"Yes," the little boy replied.

"There's no need for that now. He may be around a little more often now. You and your sister be good for him, okay."

"Why? I thought he was a bad guy," he said.

"I was mistaken," he admitted. "I think, to him, I was the bad guy."

Jerry gave him a curious look. "Why?"

Gregory thought he owed him an explanation. "Before me and your mom were together. She was married to him," he paused, "and they're still married."

A curious look grew on Jerry's face. "Then why-" he stopped before he asked his question. "He said you stole me." It was now Gregory's turn to look confused as Jerry slowly slipped of his lap and backed away. "At the school, he said I was his son."

"It's complicated," he tried to tell him.

"Is it true?" he wanted to know. "Am I his son?" Jerry then shook his head. "No, that can't be right," he thought out loud. "He's Chinese like you and I'm not." Jerry looked at Gregory intensely. "I don't understand!"

The man before him shook his head. "I can't make it clear." He looked apologetic.

"I just want to know who my real dad is. If it's not him and it's not you. Who is it?!" he grew upset. "I want to know!" He started to shake.

Gregory stood up and went over to him before taking him in his arms, allowing him to cry on his shoulder as he had done his mother only earlier that day. "I don't know who your real dad is," he spoke the truth. "But I'm the dad that loves you, the dad who will always you."

"I love you too," Jerry managed to say through his tears.

OoOoO

Trixie had just finished cooking breakfast. She sat at the table, not really knowing why she had fixed herself anything. She wasn't hungry in the least as she pushed her oatmeal around her bowl with a spoon. "Morning, mom." She heard a small voice.

"Morning, Mr. Man." She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes.

Jerry slightly frowned as he realized they were red. She had been crying. He had never seen her cry before. At that thought, something suddenly flashed in his head. It startled him, causing him to take a step back. Trixie looked at him with concern. "Sweetie, you okay?"

He looked over at his mother. Her expression was foreign to him, yet so familiar. "He used to make you cry, all the time," he said softly. "He was a bad man."

Trixie stood up as she watched her son's face pale. "Jerry, what are you talking about? You're scaring mommy." She started to walk towards him.

His eyes dilated. "I woke up and I cried because I was alone. Then he was there and I was happy, but then he put a pillow over my face and everything went black." Trixie stopped in her tracks. "I tried to scream, but it was hard to breathe. I kicked my legs, trying to get out." Trixie's hand covered her mouth as she remembered that night. "And then he pressed down harder." He looked to his mother, his eyes wide. "He's my first memory," he told her breathless. His head then tilted to one side slowly. "Tell me he's not my real father."

"No," she answered as she rushed to him. "No. no. He's not. I swear." She's held him close.

"Who is my real father?" he demanded softly. "If not him?" He looked up at her.

"Your real father. . ." she trailed off. "Died, before you were born." She didn't know if it was a lie, but at this point, it might as well be true. "The man from your memory, his name is Jake, and we used to be very good friends."

"He used to make you cry," Jerry pointed out. "I remember!"

"I know." She should have known that his memory would be as well as Spud's once was. "But he never meant to make me cry. And he never meant to hurt you." Trixie couldn't believe herself. After all this time, she still defended him.

Jerry wrapped his arms around his mother's waist. "I want my daddy," he spoke of Gregory, who had already left the house.

OoOoO

Sun Park sighed contently, it had been a long night, and she wanted knowing more then to continue to rest her head on the chest of the man who laid underneath her.

All of Jake's records had been gone through that night. Each member picked a year and went through his notes. They discovered, through his noted, how a new Huntsclan had come to be. They learned who its leader was and how she died. They learned of the two who she considered her seconds in command and how one had killed the other.

After the Huntsclan was disbanded. Jake learned and took notes on each and every cadet that attended the academy. His notes were quite detailed. He had first and last name, their codename within the academy, date of birth, a description of the cadet or a photo. He had where they were born, where they currently lived, who their parents and siblings were. And of course, all of their socials. For one, he even had the cadet's favorite color. . . and the name of her dog. It was Buttons.

Ones that concerned him, he followed more closely, and studied them. Of the almost a thousand names, seven were highlighted. He suggested, in his notes, that these seven be monitor by DOS at all times, for if the Huntsclan ever came to be again, it would be one of these seven who would emerge as the next leader.

He also suggested that several others be checked on every year, maybe even twice. They had potential, but hopefully would never realize them.

Sun Park sighed again, that was work, and she didn't want to think about work, especially as the man beneath her begin to steer. "Good morning, sugarpop."

Sun Park giggled. He was just too cute. "Morning, Jonathan."

OoOoO

"I've heard only rumors. Do they have any truth to them?" a small green goblin asked.

"They do, my brother. Magic that once protected him are no longer in play," answered a blue goblin, who was slightly bigger than the last. "He has been discredited, looked upon as fifth."

The small green goblin laughed joyously. "How our luck has changed, dear brother. The one they once called DOS Huang, will be at our mercy."

The blue one nodded in agreement. "Yes, but we must be weary, he is still a powerful being. He took down our siblings with little effort."

"No need to fear," the green one assured him. "My plan is solid." He smiled at the other. "Soon, we will have what we both desire. . . _our revenge_."

To Be Continued. . .

* * *

**A/N: **I don't know. I may extend the Sun Park and Jonathan scene, because I'm not sure where else I could explain it. Plus, someone has pointed out *coughMetellacough* how a few things don't flow when it comes to her, and that's my fault, I assume people are able to read in between the lines, but that's not always the case.

But what do you all think? Her being a Council member, is that too much? Did I go too far with her pushing Haley in her training, when she knew the truth all along? I mean, her goal was to not have the council interfere, which means she had to pretend not to know, till it was relevant. If that wasn't clear in the story, please let me know, so I can change something. Please feel free to PM me, if you don't wish to leave it in a review.

Thanks!

_**WARNING: **Shameless Plug_

I got a new one shot out, if you have the time, let me know what you think. :-D


	34. Brother

**A/N:** Awesome, one update a month. I think I'm doing well. =D

* * *

Posted: August 23, 2009

**Chapter Thirty-four: Brother**

Johnathan sighed contently from across the kitchen table as he and Sun had breakfast together. Her long black hair was tousled and in need of a good brush. At the thought, Johnathan reached over and tucked a few strains behind her ear. Sun looked over at him and smiled as his fingers gently slid across her cheek.

Her eyes were filled with love, a look Johnathan had lost hope of ever seeing directed his way again after the death of his beloved wife, Susan. He and Sun had been together going on a year now, and though he truly cared for her, she would never be able to replace Susan in his heart. She knew that, understood that, and accepted that. But still, after Susan, for the longest time, Johnathan's world had been dark and little by little Sun had brought light back into it and he was thankful everyday for that.

Johnathan had lost more than anyone knew. He had heard his son was back in town, but their relationship had been tense before he had disappeared, so doubted he would stop by and say hello. He and his daughter, Haley, were on good terms, but she was growing up fast. Her dragon training had been completed and her duties as they American Dragon had left her little room for him as she tried to balance a social life along with attending college full-time.

His father-in-law, Lao Shi, had sold his shop and had moved back to China several years ago. He was always visited around the holidays. During those visits, they would go to church and pray for Susan.

Johnathan began to think about his life before Susan, before he came to New York. Things would have been so different if he hadn't met her that faithful summer day, so long ago. And once he knew, he wanted no one but her, he had sacrificed _everything. . . _

"_I love her," he confessed to his grandmother._

"_She isn't like us," she argued. "Her culture is so different from our own. You can't fit in her world and she doesn't fit into ours. And there is no way she ever could."_

"_I don't care," he was defiant. "I'll figure out a way to make it work."_

_Her features soften and she took a hold of her grandson's face. "My precious little cougar cub, I know you mean well, and I know you _think_ you are in love, but I promise if you just let this silly idea go, it will pass."_

_Johnathan stepped away from her touch. "It's not silly."_

"_It is, because you aren't thinking beyond yourself," she tried to explain. "You have responsibilities here. To your family. You can't forget that."_

_The young Johnathan sighed. "It doesn't have to be me," he reminded her._

_His grandmother's mouth dropped. "Don't say things like that." She then recomposed herself. "You know it has to be you, the others will never be as prepared as you are," she tried to reason with him. "You are the only one who can run this after me."_

"_Then give me what I want. It's that simple. Let me keep her," he tried not to sound like he was begging._

_His grandmother stood firm, a pout on lips, she then shook her head. "My answer is still no." _

It had been hard to walk away, to give up all that he knew, but Susan and their children had been worth it all. But then again, he couldn't help but think of this moment in his life, when he had asked his own son to give up Trixie and the child she had bore. He should have been ashamed, but he knew what was to come even if he couldn't tell Jake outright. He wasn't surprise it didn't last, only at how long it did.

Johnathan looked back at Sun, this new love in his life, and after all the sorrow in it, he knew he was still blessed.

OoOoO

"When is daddy coming home?" Frankie asked as she, Jerry, and her mother, Trixie, sat down for dinner.

Trixie's face sadden at the question. "Shut up, Frankie," Jerry told her harshly.

"I can talk if I want to," she spat back. She then began to sing at the top of her lungs. "La la la la. . ."

"Be quiet!" Jerry yelled over her continued singing. "Mom, Frankie won't shut up!"

"You're a poopy face!" Frankie announced in between her endless song.

Jerry looked offended. "Well, you – your a booty sniffer!" he countered.

"I did that once!" she defended herself. "And I was pretending to be a dog!"

"Pretending or not, it still makes you a booty sniffer." He then rose his head up and sniffed the air. "Mmm, booty."

The two children continued to argue. Trixie sighed and lowered her face into her hands. "Enough," she whispered, but it went unheard between their bickering. "Enough!" she barked, and both of her children fell silent. "You two are driving me up a wall," she told them. "Go upstairs. Get ready for bed."

"Can we finish dinner?" Jerry asked timidly.

Trixie thought about it for a moment. "Take it with you," she instructed.

She watched as they picked up their plates and walked towards the door. "I told you not to ask about dad around mom," she heard Jerry whisper to his sister before they disappeared around the corner.

Trixie pushed her own plate way out in front of her before resting her head on the kitchen table. Things had been hard. She hadn't seen Gregory in over three months and she was pretty much bringing up two kids on her own. She didn't know what she was doing.

Gregory said that he would still be around, but she really didn't know how that was possible. She couldn't see him, she couldn't talk to him, she even couldn't hold him anymore, and things were slowly falling apart.

Things hadn't hit her all at once yet, but the bills were starting to pile up. The ones she was worried about the most were the mortgage and the tuition for Jerry's school. One of them had to go. She either had to move Jerry to a public school or she was going to have to sell the house. Neither looked appealing.

She cursed Jake. After all this time, he got what he wanted, her away from Gregory. She honestly thought he would appear the moment Gregory was out the picture, but strangely he had been nowhere to be seen. She wondered what was going on in his head right about now.

Trixie sat up and looked over at the phone. There was one other thing she could do, when it came to her financial situation, but she wasn't sure if it was a good idea. Just the mere idea of it made her hands tremble. She got up and walked over to the cordless phone before dialing who she needed. "Hello. . . uh, mom?"

Yeah, things were hard.

OoOoO

Gregory sat quietly in his small apartment and he studied the book in his hands. Adjustment had been difficult, but he was finally starting to get use to the fact that he was no longer a part of DOS. A friend had suggested that he find something that was similar to it and so Gregory decided becoming a police officer was a good bet. He was still attending the academy and if luck was on his side he would be graduating in a few weeks.

It was a moment he wish he could share with his family, but he knew that was beyond his reach. He had made no attempts to try to reach his children, not that he didn't want to, he just hadn't gotten the nerve to do so yet. He wanted to accomplish something first, before he saw them again.

Just then, Gregory got a telephone call. "Hello?"

"Gregory," it was Kathy, his mother.

"Hi, mom." Gregory put down his book to concentrate on the conversation.

"When was the last time you came to see me?" she asked.

"Uhh, two days ago," he answered.

"And you didn't tell me you and Trixie were having problems?" she sounded annoyed.

Gregory groaned. "You talked to Trixie," he concluded. "What did she tell you?"

"Not much, but she finally called me mom, after years of me asking her and her turning me down, so I knew something was wrong. What the hell did you do?" Kathy demanded.

"Why do you always assume I did something wrong?" he couldn't help but ask.

Kathy sighed. "That's not how I meant for it to sound. It's just I just got done talking to Trixie and sounded pretty distraught that you left. Just tell mommy what happened."

"I didn't want to leave Trixie," he made clear. "Jake had issued a GL Ban," he confessed.

Kathy was silent for a moment. "I loved my cousin, Susan, but the way she raised that boy."

"Please, mom, don't blame him, not before you know the whole story." Gregory then proceeded to tell her what was going on and was glad he couldn't see her face as he did so, because he knew he wouldn't have been able to stand the disappointment on her face.

OoOoO

"Grandma!" Jerry and Frankie yelled out when they saw Kathy pull into the driveways. As soon as she was out the car, they ran up to her and hugged her tightly.

Kathy kissed their foreheads. "You two have gotten so big." She smiled down at them. "We're going to have so much fun together, aren't we?" They both nodded. "Why don't you two go grab your bags?" They did as they were told.

Trixie stood at the doorway and slowly made her way over to Kathy as Jerry and Frankie rushed passed her to go get their things. "Thank you for helping."

"The pleasure is all mine. They're good kids," Kathy told her.

"It's just," she wrapped her arms around herself, "I feel like I'm letting them down. I fee like-" she closed her eyes and sighed, "like I'm abandoning them."

"You are doing no such thing." Kathy took a hold of her arms. "You are a good mother," she assured her. "And just because they're going to be living with me for a while, doesn't make you any less of a good one." Trixie nodded. "You did the right thing by calling me."

"How's Gregory?" she couldn't help, but blurt out.

Kathy's shoulders drop. "He's hurting. He blames himself for the entire situation, but I think seeing his kids will take his mind off of it for a little while." Kathy released her. "He misses you."

Trixie couldn't help the tear that fell. "I miss him too," she replied.

Pretty soon, Frankie and Jerry came down with their kid size luggage and got ready to go. "Be good for grandma!" Trixie blew them both kisses before waving goodbye. She hope this was a good idea, but she knew she needed help and turning to her own parents was definitely not an option.

Trixie then walked back into the house and closed the door behind her. She rested her head on the door as she locked it. "Hello, Trixie." She screamed as she heard her name and turned around to find Jake standing at the end of the hall.

"What the fuck do you want?" she asked him.

"I know, I should have been here sooner," he admitted.

"No, the problem is, you shouldn't have showed up at all." She pushed passed him and headed to the living room. "We were doing fine before you showed up. Do you realize this?"

"Look, I'm sorry about Gregory, alright? I really am." He followed her. "But I had a job to do!"

"Screw the job. This was a pissing contest." Trixie turned around and looked at him as she entered the living room and clapped her hands. "Congrats, Jakey, you have the biggest dick."

Jake was growing angry. "Why am I the bad guy here?" he wanted to know. "All I wanted to do is be with you."

"You're the bad guy Jake because I had a choice and I chose Gregory and then you went and made sure I didn't have that choice anymore!" She was vivid. "A Ghost Life Ban? What kind of fucked up shit is that? Do you-"

"Hey!" he shouted and interrupted her. "He got off light," he told her. "And I had to fight for that ban, because what the council wanted to do was much _much _worst."

"How much worst?" Curiosity took a hold of her.

Jake shook his head. "You don't want to know how much worst." They stood in silence for a moment after that.

"Jake. . ." her voice shook as she held herself. "I couldn't take care of my kids by myself," her voice was filled with shame. "It got to the point where-" tears escaped her eyes, "where I couldn't stand to look at them."

Jake couldn't help but think back to when Jerry was first born, where Trixie seem to want nothing to do with him. Things had gotten so bad. He had to find a way to make this right.

"Trixie," he whispered as he took a few cautious steps towards her. When she didn't step back he slowly wrapped his arms around her. She tensed in his arms at first, but then wrapped her arms around him as well and held him close.

OoOoO

The blue goblin handed over a small package to the short green one. "Untraceable, brother," he assured him.

"So is everything in place?" asked the green one.

"Almost," the other answered. "The plan is flawless."

"Good," he smiled wickedly. "Very Good."

OoOoO

Gregory had just graduated from the police academy, a lot of his family was there, which he didn't expect after they had learned what had gone down with the trial with the Dragon Council. They had gone out to celebrate, the afternoon was made even sweeter with his kids being there to share the moment with him.

Afterwards, his mother insisted that he come home with her so that could make him dinner. She was so proud of him. When he arrived there, he walked into the kitchen and found Jake sitting at the table, who slowly stood up as he entered. "Hey, there."

Frankie clung to her father and Jerry frowned deeply. "Come now children, go play in your rooms while I get dinner ready." Kathy didn't seem surprise as Jake's presence.

"Why is he here?" Gregory asked her as the children went towards the stairs.

"Because I asked him here," she admitted. "He's family, so you two are going to be stuck with each other for a long time. Work things out," she told him.

"But mom-" he stopped his complaining when she gave him a warning look.

"Now, I'm going to run to the store, I forgot to pick up eggs. I'll be back in a little while." She then went on her way.

Jake waited for Gregory to sit before he retook his own. "So," Jake drew out.

"What do you want, Jake?" Gregory got to the point. "I mean, what more do you want of me?" He sat back in his seat. "You won, okay? I admit defeat. All hail the mighty Jake," he said sarcastically.

"I'm not here to gloat or anything like that," he told him. "I just want to be on good terms again."

"After everything that went down?" Gregory looked at him disbelief. "Boy, you must of lost your mind, because I don't want anything to do with you."

"I know I've been selfish, but I want to make it up to you. I don't care what I have to do," Gregory looked at his cousin and was surprised to see that he seemed sincere.

"I want the GL Ban lifted," he asked of him.

"Come on, Greggy, be reasonable. You were there, I did the best I could for your behalf, but I can't do anything about that. I'm amazed they lifted it for Jerry and Frankie, but there is no way, they're going to let you see Trixie again. There has to be _some _punishment. I'm sorry."

"You're nothing but empty words, Jake." Gregory leaned on the table. "I mean, look what you did to your own sister."

Jake's brow furrowed. "What?"

"Come on now. How would you feel, if you worked your ass off trying to live up to the previous American Dragon, but realize you're nothing more than a shadow of him? Which is then confirmed, the moment he comes back wanting his status, and then you're pushed aside, like nothing you did mattered?" he asked him.

The older of the two shook his head. "That's not how she felt."

"Really? How do you know that?" he questioned. "Have you even spoke to her since she was _forced _to relinquish her title?" Jake realized the answer was, no. "Well, I have, and she wasn't happy. She had finally gotten a hold of things. And just when she thought she had everything figured out, you went and stole a part of her life."

Jake honestly hadn't thought, what taking back his title would mean to Haley. At this point, she had been the American Dragon just as long as he had. "You ruin everything you touch," Gregory revealed to him. "Why did you come back?"

"Where else was I suppose to go?" Jake asked, his voice soft. "It wasn't easy to leave. You guys all think it was, but it wasn't. I left _knowing_ my wife would find comfort in another man, and just not any other man, but my cousin. I left knowing Jerry would be raised by you, and I left knowing that if things went wrong, which they did, I would be dumping a lot on my sister," he needed someone to understand.

"I have dedicated my life to being the American Dragon and you may not see it from your point of view, but I have suffered as well. So like I said before, I know I've been selfish, but to be honest, I really think it's my turn to be," he laid it out there. "Trixie is _my _wife," he looked as if he were in pain, "and whether I was here or gone, that never changed. I'm just asking you to respect that."

"She doesn't love you," Gregory spoke.

"Yeah, she does," Jake told the other one hard truth. "The problem is she loves you too," and admitted to himself the other.

A few moments later, Kathy arrived back at the house and started making dinner for the five of them. "It's so nice having people to cook for again." She beamed as both boys helped her prepare. Kathy did notice that they only spoke to each other when it was absolutely necessary, but that's what they did when they were kids, so she was hopeful about their relationship.

As Jake put down the plates and Gregory set the silverware, Kathy yelled upstairs for Jerry and Frankie to wash up and come down. She waited a few minutes, but when they didn't come downstairs she went up to get them. A moment later, Jake and Gregory were startled when they heard Kathy scream at the top of her lungs.

"Mom!" Gregory rushed up the stairs, Jake fast on his heels.

OoOoO

"Jerry!" A twelve year old Jerry Long groaned as he woke up in his childhood home. "We're leaving in an hour!" his mother shouted from across the hall. "Jerry?"

"I'm up!" he yelled back, before pulling the blanket over his head hoping to catch a few more minutes of sleep.

A few minutes later he heard his bedroom door open. "Jer!" he was barked at. "You heard your mom. Up." Jerry slowly kicked his warm blanket way and rose from his bed. He rubbed his eyes as he walked over to his dresser to grab some clothes, he then realized that Jake was still in the doorway. "You good?" he asked.

"Yeah," he nodded, before Jake left his room.

It was Christmas morning, which meant waking up early and heading down to the cemetery. They did this twice a year, once on Christmas and the other on her birthday. Jerry's little sister had died several years ago. It was all kind of hazy when he tried to think back on it, so he didn't try to. His mind had always been a steel trap, but this was just one thing he just didn't want to remember.

They made sure they were all bundled up and warm before they headed out. Silence accompanied them as it always did on this date. Jake watched as Jerry lowered himself to his knees and wiped the snow that had gathered on her headstone. She was only five years old when she died.

Jake could still remember that horrifying day. He had been at his Aunt Kathy's place, helping with dinner and trying to patch things up with Gregory, when they both heard screaming from upstairs. The two of them had rushed to find out what was going on. What they discovered were both children laid on Kathy's bed, looking too pale to be natural.

But the way they were laid on the bed, is what haunted Jake's nightmare for years. They were laid there as if they had been placed in an invisible coffin. Jake hurried over to the bed and checked for a pulse, both were weak and he could tell their breathing was slowing down.

Kathy had called 911, but Gregory couldn't wait for them to arrive. He picked Jerry up, while Jake picked up Frankie and they drove to the hospital themselves. Jake sat in the backseat, Frankie in his arms, as Kathy sat next to him with Jerry in hers. Jake then realized something about this eerily seemed all too familiar.

It wasn't until they had gotten to the emergency room and they had pronounced Frankie DOA, that Jake remembered the banshee and the vision of the little girl dying in his arms. They had gotten Jerry to the hospital in time, but he had been hospitalized for weeks.

Frankie's death, hit Gregory hard. Her death was the straw that broke the camel's back. He withdrew from everyone, his focus on revenging his daughter. And he knew exactly where to start. Two goblins, if Jake remembered correctly. When Gregory had taken down their siblings, on DOS orders, they had swore revenge, he hadn't thought anything of it, but only too late to realize the real threat they carried.

Trixie was simply devastated and refused to let Jerry out of her sight, even after he was released from the hospital. She feared that he would be ripped from her like Frankie was. Jerry blamed himself for living when his sister had died. He thought because he was smart, because he was the big brother, there was something he could have done, and no one could convince him differently. The next few years were shrouded in nothing but black emptiness.

But somehow, things got better, if only little by little. The petty things they were all arguing about before her death, didn't seem to matter anymore. Kathy had been right all along, they were family and that was all that mattered.

OoOoO

"Hurry and opened it. I can't stand to wait anymore." Sun handed Johnathan his gift as they sat on the floor in front of the fireplace.

He opened the small box to find a silver watch. "It's wonderful," he told her, as he looked down at it. She leaned on his shoulder and he was able to see her reflection in the face of the watch. He thanked her with a kiss, but before he could give her her gift there came a knock at the door.

"It must be Haley," Sun thought out loud as she watched Johnathan go over to the door.

He looked through the peek hole, but it wasn't his daughter as he had expected. What he saw was a tall man with dark hair. He couldn't tell who he was as he had his back to him. Cautiously Johnathan opened the door. "Hello?"

The man before him turned around. "Merry Christmas," his voice was deep, but gentle.

It took Johnathan a good moment to recognize the man. "Arthur," he whispered breathlessly. He had grown so much since he had last seen him, nearly thirteen years ago. He looked as though he had been through much and was sure that the scar that ran across his left eye down to his cheek was evident of that.

A small smile came to Spud's face as he stepped closer to Johnathan and wrapped his arms around him. "It's been a long time," Johnathan happily embraced him back, ". . . _brother_."

To Be Continued. . .

* * *

**A/N:** Crazy, yes! But rewatch season one, there is something that Jake and Spud have in common, that I just had to play on in this story. I'm not sure if I really want to put it in the story though, or just let you know in the next Author's Note.


	35. Son

**A/N**: Been trying to do one chapter a month. I kind of cut it close here, huh?

* * *

Posted: September 30, 2009

**Chapter Thirty-five: Son**

"And the Kingdom?" Johnathan asked his brother, Spud.

"There is finally peace, after much war," Spud answered. "But I fear it's only temporary. It's as if-"

"War?" Johnathan seemed confused. When I denounced my throne to be with Susan in this dimension, there had already been peace for centuries. What happened?" He wanted to know.

"Without you to take the throne and with our other brothers failing, our Kingdom was void of a leader. Grandmother did what she could, but it was hardly enough. She had no choice, but to wait until I turned eighteen and pray that I passed the test for the crown. If I hadn't out Kingdom would have been over thrown."

"All this suffering because of me?" Johnathan looked disgusted with himself.

"Don't think like that. You did what was best for you. And from what I understand, Grandmother didn't give you a choice," Spud reassured him.

"I had a duty to perform and I walked away from it." He shook his head. "What would I have told Jake, if you had failed? How would I have told him, he was next in line to a throne in a dimension he had never heard of? In a middle of a war he couldn't win, because I had failed to do what needed to be done?"

"Well, I didn't fail. I passed. I lived and I fought back the light," Spud told him. "But I'm back now, if only for a little while." He smiled. "I've come back for my Queen." He then noticed the look on Johnathan's face. "What?"

"There's something you should know, about Trixie?" the older brother said slowly.

"What is it?" He looked frightened. "Tell me she didn't lose the Jewel of Eskaw."

"As far as I know, she's never taken it off." Spud looked relieved. "But you know it's limitations in this dimension."

"You forget, I grew up in this world, with Johanna tutoring me about our own. I know its limitations. That the Jewel of Eskaw was created to protect members of the Royal line. For Trixie, a potential Queen, it would ward off any male suitors. In our world, they would be met with death, while in this one, just really bad luck," he laughed. "Not as potent, but still does the trick. Also, for both worlds, if she gives birth to a child who isn't of the Royal line, they are destine to die," he explained.

"Then for Jake, it was to hide his presence if I had failed. Grandmother, would not have been able to find him. I gave one to Haley as well, but told her to never say anything to Jake about it. That she had to pretend along with the rest of the world, that she didn't remember me. She was angry about having to lie to Jake, but understood."

"Her name was Francis," Johnathan responded oddly to Spud.

"Huh?" He looked at him confused once again. Johnathan then went on to tell Spud about Trixie and Gregory and about the child they had had together and lost. Spud was speechless for a moment. "I never meant for her to experience pain," he revealed. "She said she would wait for me," he said softly to himself.

"There's more," Johnathan continued. "There is a first born."

"Jake's?" he asked.

"No. Yours," he answered.

The younger brother paled. "You're telling me, my poor Trixie, has lost two children?"

"Not exactly."

Spud looked at him in shock. "The first born still lives?"

"Yes."

"He would be nearly thirteen years old now." Spud shook his head. "That's not good."

"Don't you think I know that," Johnathan could feel Spud grow frantic.

"A first born of our line is never suppose to live beyond it's first thirteen days of life. Why didn't you take care of it?" Spud wanted to know.

"I never allowed myself to get close. I've been through it once, I couldn't do it again," he explained. "Besides, with Jake and Trixie living together at the time, I figured it was only a matter of time before Jake's body forced him to do it himself, but I guess something went wrong." Spud then shot up from where he was sitting. "What are you doing?"

Spud pulled out his familiar yo-yo. "I must contact Grandmother. She must know of this. If that child is allowed to reach thirteen years of life-"

"I know," Johnathan lowered his head. "I've failed you again."

OoOoO

Jake smiled contently in his bed as he began to wake from a good night's rest to find Trixie's arm wrapped tightly around his chest. He placed his hand on top of hers. Those years he had been away, sleep had not come easy, because in the short time he and his wife had lived together, he had gotten used to sleeping in her arms.

It had taken several years for the two of them to get back into a good place when it came to each other and their fractured relationship and when they had, and they started sleeping in the same bed again, he noticed she clung to him tighter than she had before he left. He asked her about it, and she had told him that he had asked that question before. He then told her, that he hoped that this time he would get an answer.

The two, since they decided to get back together, had been nothing but truthful with each other as they tried to mend broken fences. They didn't want any secrets. "I'm determined to make us work this time." Jake had told her.

Trixie took a deep breath as she told him about what had happen with her first and only night with Spud. How he had disappeared the next morning, and that feeling of emptiness that invaded her as she realized he was gone. She then reminded him, of that night she and Jake had spent together and how she felt it again when she found Jake gone the next morning as well, even though he was only down the hall.

As she spoke of that day, Jake remembered how she had thrown her arms around him and how badly her body shook within his hold. He remembered the look of absolute fear that he had seen in her eyes, when she had pulled away to look at him. That's when he had made it a point to always wake her before he got out of bed. He never wanted to see that look again. But still, compared to the look she gave him, the night he had blacked out and almost killed Jerry, that first look, only came in second place.

Jake then shifted in the bed and turned around to look at the still sleeping Trixie. He gave a soft chuckle as he saw she had forgotten to wrap her hair before falling a sleep. She now had a major case of bedhead. He reached over and gently began to brush down her hair with his fingers.

She sighed at the gesture before her eyes slowly opened and she woke to a smiling Jake. "Good morning," he whispered.

"Morning," she replied as she finally released her husband to rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"So Dr. Long are you on call today?" he asked her.

"No, not today," she answered. "Why?"

Jake slightly frowned. "My dad called last night." Jake hadn't spoken to his father in many years, not since that night at the hospital when Jerry was born.

"A Christmas day miracle," she joked, but Jake didn't find it amusing.

"He wants us to come over today. Said he had some news."

"That's wonderful." Trixie sat up. "When does he want us to come over?" she asked.

Jake looked at her like she was out of her mind. "We aren't going," he announced.

"Why not?" She looked at him in disbelief. "I know you miss Papa Dog," she referred to Jonathan by the name she used to call him as a child.

Jake sat up in the bed as well. "How can you forgive what he did?" he asked her. "He abandon us when we needed him most."

"Like father, like son, huh?" she replied softly and Jake grew silent. "You aren't a teenager anymore, Jake. You are a grown ass man. Now your father is reaching out for you, it wouldn't hurt to reach back. Even just a little."

"It's just," he shook his head, "I'm just still so angry," he admitted. "He didn't believe in me. He didn't believe in us. He thought we were doomed from the start."

"Well, you can't deny that he wasn't wrong?"

"What?" Jake looked at her in shock. "How could you say that?"

"How can you look so surprised?" she asked him. "Through the years, we have been through so many ups and downs, twist and turns. I mean, from learning you were a dragon. From Spud disappearing to," she paused, "to losing my daughter. Our lives have not been easy, but I think, things would be just a little less difficult for you, if you allow your dad back in your life."

"I never wanted him gone in the first place, Trixie. He chose to walk away!" Jake said angrily.

"And now he's chosen to walk back in it. So allow him to do so. Not for him, but for yourself," she reasoned with him. "It's time to forgive."

Jake took a deep breath as he looked at his wife. She believed in her words, because heaven only knew where they would be if she didn't have the ability to forgive. Jake then nodded. "Fine, if you think it's best." He then noticed Trixie was looking at him oddly. "What?" he asked.

"Your eyes," she began as she took a hold of his face to get a better look. "There's this gold ring around them."

"Is that bad?" Jake asked slowly.

"Not necessarily. It's just, I've only ever seen this in patients with light colored eyes." She then let go of him. "I'll check one of my medical books just in case, but I'm sure it's nothing." She then smiled. "Just a sign of you getting old."

Jake rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He pouted. Just then a knock was heard. "Come on in, Jerry."

Jerry opened the door and poked his head through. "Morning," he greeted his parents. "Jake, are we going to workout?" he asked.

Jake looked at the time on the nightstand. "I guess we could get a quick workout out the way." He looked back over at Jerry. "Go warm up, I'll meet you in the basement."

Jerry nodded and closed the door behind him. Jake stared at the door for a moment. "He's never going to call me dad, is he?"

Trixie shook her head. "No, I don't think so."

"I really messed things up, didn't I?" he asked somberly. Trixie said nothing as she leaned over and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek.

OoOoO

Jake held a punching bag as Jerry took a few swings at it. "You're leaving your right side unprotected," Jake informed the twelve year old boy.

"I know!" he cried in frustration.

"Then do something about it!" Jake yelled back, his tail appearing and striking Jerry's right side, who blocked just in time to avoid being hit. "Good boy," Jake praised. "Now keep that arm up."

"Right," Jerry nodded as he continued to hit the punching bag. After another ten minutes, Jerry leaned against the punching bag. He was obviously tired.

"Good job today." Jake smiled as he gestured for Jerry to give him his hands so he could help take off his gloves.

"Jake?"

"Yeah?" He didn't look up from his task.

"So I talked to dad the other day," he began slowly, watching Jake's expression carefully. "And for my thirteenth birthday, he wants to take me on a trip."

"Have you talked to your mom about it yet?" Jake asked.

"No, not really." He shrugged.

Jake tossed the gloves aside as Jerry began to rub his wrist. "What kind of trip is it?"

"Not really sure. He said it was some kind of surprise." They began to walk towards the stairs. "I really want to go, but you know mom is. She can be so overprotective."

Jake nodded. "Yeah." He put a hand on the young boy's shoulders. "I'll talk to her, but I'm not making any promises."

Jerry beamed. "I'm going to call him," he announced as he jetted up the stairs.

Both Jake and Jerry had already taken showers when they entered the kitchen where they found Trixie making breakfast. "Jake," she called. "Could you cut this for me?" She was at the counter with a large knife cutting sausages.

"Sure." Trixie slid over and Jake took her place.

"I'll make pancakes," Jerry said out loud as he reached into the fridge to grab some milk.

"Grab the cheese for me, while you have the door open," Trixie instructed as she beat some eggs at the kitchen table.

Jerry did as he was told and placed the shredded cheese next to her. "Mom, where's the big bowl," he asked as he put the milk down as well.

"Upper shelf." She pointed with her head. "Next to Jake."

Jerry stood on Jake's left side as he began to open the cupboard. Trixie was about to turn back towards the table to add the cheese to the eggs, when she realized Jake had stop cutting the sausage. "Jake, is there something wrong?"

At the question, Jerry turned his head towards Jake, who turned his head towards him. Jerry made an odd expression from Trixie's point of view. "Your eyes are all gold," he pointed out. "Is that a dragon thing?" he asked.

Trixie then gasped in horror as she watched Jake raise the knife he was holding and it went swinging towards Jerry. Her beaten eggs fell to the floor as she made a mad dash towards Jerry, where she put herself in between him and her husband.

"Mom!" Jerry screamed as Trixie fell into him and they both collapsed onto the floor. "Mom? Mom?!" Jerry panicked when he got no response. He then turned her onto her back. His eyebrows rose as he lifted his hand and found it covered in blood. "Mom!" Tears began to build in his eyes.

He then looked back at Jake, who stood there expressionless, his eyes glowing gold, as if possessed. Jerry breathed heavily. "Why?" he asked. At the sound of the question, Jake eyes locked with Jerry's. Jerry jumped as Jake moved forward. "Stop!" he cried out, but Jake still advanced towards them. "I said stop!" Jerry held out his blood covered hand as he screamed at the top of his lungs.

All of a sudden, there was a brilliant bright light that shot from his hand and sent Jake clear across the room until he hit the wall on the far end and came crashing down.

Jerry looked at his hand, confused and scared, but he didn't have time for that now. "I got you mom. I got you." Jerry slowly placed her on the floor before heading towards the phone on the wall where he called 911.

"This is 911, what is the state of your emergency?" asked the operator.

Jerry opened his mouth to speak. "Put down the phone," the operator heard softly in the background.

"Mom, you're hurt. You need an ambulance," Jerry tried to tell her.

"Put down the damn phone!" she yelled.

"Please, what is the state of your emergency?" the operator asked again.

"He tried to kill us!" Jerry shouted at his mother.

"Just put down the phone," she began to cry.

"If you need help," the operator began, but before she could say anymore, all she heard was the dial tone. The address of the caller popped up on her screen. She then made a call of her own. "Yeah, I'm going to need a unit and an ambulance to the following address."

"Mom," Jerry made his way back to the floor next to his mother. "Just let me call."

"No, I'll be fine," she tried to convince her son, but the look of pain that shot onto her face as she tried to sit up didn't fool him.

"You're bleeding."

Trixie then noticed Jake on the other side of the room. "How did he get over there?" she wondered out loud.

"I did it," Jerry admitted, but decided not to say how. "He came at us with the knife again. I had to stop him." He looked as if he was about to panic again.

"I know," Trixie soothed him as she placed a hand on his cheek. "You did good." She then looked back over at her husband. "Oh, Jake," she whispered. She began to stand.

"Don't!" Jerry grabbed her hand from where he sat.

Trixie smiled at him softly. "I'm a lot stronger than you think," she assured him. She then made her way towards Jake, but not before kicking the knife far from his reach. She then knelt down beside him. "Wake up, Jake." She shook him a little.

Jerry grabbed the knife as it slid towards him before making his way next to his mother, ready to defend her and himself, if he needed to.

Jake groaned as his hand went to the back of head. "What happened?" he asked as he opened his eyes. He then saw Trixie's shirt soaked in blood and Jerry standing over him, giving him a look he hadn't seen since he used to refer to him as 'the bad man'. Jake swallowed hard as tears began to run down his face. "What did I do?" He braced himself.

Trixie place a comforting hand on Jake's chest and felt the Jewel of Eskaw. "You blacked out. . . like you did before," she informed him.

"But that hasn't happen since Jerry was born."

"I know." Jerry looked at the two oddly. He was missing something.

"I came after you?" Jake asked.

Trixie pursed her lips together before she lowered her head. "No," she whispered.

Jake looked at Jerry, the knife shaking in his hold. "Oh, God." He brought his hands to his face. Trixie then wrapped her arms around him and held him close, but he quickly pulled away. He looked into her eyes. "I would never hurt him," he needed her to know. "_Never_."

Trixie nodded her head. "I know," she tried to reassure him as she took him back into her arms. She then turned towards her son. "He's okay now. You can put down the knife." Jerry shook his head.

Jerry looked at her like she had gone insane. "He tried to kill us!" he reminded her.

"Just trust me and do as I say."

"You said this happen before. When I was baby?" He needed answers.

"I'm not going to discuss that with you." He didn't need to know, that this was Jake's second attempt at his life. "All that I will tell you is, he's blacked out before, but from what I can tell, if you hurt him, he comes out of it," she concluded. "It doesn't happen often. This was only the second time in thirteen years. This is not a problem," she stated. "Now put down the knife and go change your clothes. I'm going to calm down Jake and I'm going to attend to my wound. Then we're both going to change, I'm going to clean up the kitchen, and we're all going to pretend this didn't happen."

"But mom-"

"Jeremiah!" she was pissed. "None of this happened." Defeated, Jerry said nothing before placing the knife in the sink and heading towards his room.

OoOoO

The small family was in the middle of eating breakfast, cereal, silently when there came a knock at the door. Jerry answered it to find two police officers waiting there. He let them come into the house and into the kitchen as he watched both his mother and Jake, lie to them with ease. But he figured lying should come easy to them. They were the keeper of many secrets. Secrets they even hid from him. . .

"So Jerry tells me, Gregory wants to take him on a trip for his birthday. I think he should go," Jake told Trixie as soon as the police left and they settled back at the kitchen table.

"Well, it has been a while since you celebrated a birthday with your dad. You can call him and let him know it's okay," Trixie smiled at him.

"I don't think I want to go," Jerry told her. "I don't want to leave you alone."

"Why not?" Trixie looked at him curiously.

Jerry looked at her and then at Jake. He couldn't believe it. They were really going to pretend nothing happened. "No reason, just don't feel like going." Well, he could play this game too.

OoOoO

There came a knock at the door and as it did Jonathan looked over at the clock. He was nervous as he felt his stomach flip-flop. He opened the door to find his son and his daughter-in-law on the other side.

Trixie beamed. "Papa Dog!" She threw her arms around him. "It's been too long."

"It has." He returned her smile, which immediately turned into a frown when she quickly recoiled. "Something wrong?" he asked her.

"No. Just had a little accident this morning," she told him.

Jonathan accepted her answer and then turned to his son. "My little cougar cub," he said softly as he stepped toward him for a hug.

Jake took a step back and held out a hand for the other to shake. "Dad."

Jonathan tried not to show how that had hurt him. "Please, get out of the cold and come on in." He allowed them in the house and they settled in the living room, where Haley was waiting for them. Jake embraced his sister with no hesitation. Jonathan only looked away as they did.

He then stood in front of his family. He looked nervous as if he didn't know where to began. "Dad?" Haley called to him. Johnathan smiled at his daughter.

"I love you guys very much," he began. "And even knowing all our fates, I still would have made the choice to be with your mother."

"What are you talking about?" Jake asked.

"Maybe I'm starting off wrong," Johnathan thought out loud. "Maybe I should have my brother explain it."

"Brother?" Jake looked taken back at the word.

"Yeah, that would be me," came a voice entering from out of the kitchen.

"Oh my God," Trixie whispered as her hand covered her mouth. "Spud."

"Wow, it's been a long time, since anyone has called me that," he mused.

"Spud!" Trixie jumped out of her seat and ran into Spud's arms.

"My beloved Trixie." He held her as if he never wanted to let her go. "How I have dreamt of this moment."

"I've missed you so much," she cried.

"I've missed you too." He then took his time as he pulled away and looked to his nephew. "Jake," his smile widen as he embraced his childhood friend.

"It's good to have you back, man." Jake's smile matched the other's.

After a few moments they settled down. "First, I want to apologize, for what I put you all through," Spud began as he told his story and Johnathan told his.

"So after all this time, we find out that the story Johanna told us about the older brother, who gave up everything to be with the woman he loved, was you?" Jake asked his father.

"Yes." Johnathan nodded. "I'm sorry I kept this part of me secret. I didn't know if you could handle it or could understand."

"Wow," was all Jake could say. "You and mom had more in common than you know."

Johnathan laughed. "Yeah, we did."

"So what happens now?" Haley asked.

Spud looked to Johnathan and then back at the three before him. "Well, from what I've been told, I understand. . . _I have a son_."

To Be Continued. . .

* * *

**A/N:** I wanted to add the thing with the gold eyes the first time Jake made an attempt at Jerry's life, but I realized, Trixie would have never saw them if his head was down, focused on his task. Right? I don't know.

One thing I wanted to mention in this chapter, but didn't know where, were the birthmarks both Spud and Jake have on their butts, which is season 1 canon. I gave a early hint back in chapter (waitforit) 13, but I'm not sure if any of the readers picked it up.

I'm always afraid, that I'll drop a little hint and everyone will figure out the entire story. :-(


	36. Father

**A/N:** Sorry for skipping October. I didn't know how I wanted to end the chapter.

* * *

Posted: November 20, 2009

**Chapter Thirty-six: Father**

"_They are already so broken, if you go through with this, they may not recover from it," Johnathan reminded Spud of a fact he didn't need to be reminded of._

"_Don't you think I know that?" Spud replied. "I'm not looking forward to what has to be done."_

"His name is Jeremiah," Trixie smiled as she told the father of her child the name of his son.

"He looks so much like you at times, that I have to stop myself from calling him Spud," Jake revealed.

Spud smiled at them, but his heart ached within his chest as he saw and heard the love that was in their voices as they spoke about the boy.

"_It's just," Johnathan began. "Time is running out. His thirteenth birthday is about two weeks away." He let be known._

_Spud sighed. "What am I suppose to tell them?" he asked for his brother's guidance. _

_Johnathan only shook his head. "No matter what you tell them, they aren't going to understand. They went through so much after the death of Francis. Nothing you say will be justified in their eyes." _

"I can't wait to meet him," Spud interrupted Trixie as she was telling him about how smart Jerry was and the gifted school he was attending. At his words he noticed Trixie's smile slightly falter. His smiled fell as well. "Did- did I say something wrong?" he asked.

Trixie pursed her lips. "Umm, I'm not really sure if that's uh. . ." she trailed off.

"I think we owe you an apology," Jake stepped in. "You had been gone so long," he began slowly. "We lost faith," he admitted.

"Jerry thinks you're dead," Trixie cut to the point. Spud leaned back in his seat at the news. "You have to understand. He asked about you and we hadn't heard from you in years. He needed to know _something._ And telling the truth at that point seemed like a crazy idea," she tried to explain. "Then again, at that time, what I was telling him. . . I thought was the truth."

Spud nodded. "It's okay. I understand, really. I left you guys in an impossible situation and for that I'm the one who's sorry."

_Spud groaned. "I thought war came to our home world, because you weren't there to take the throne, but now I see it's because that boy merely exist." He shook his head. "There is peace now, but that won't last," he concluded. "If he is allowed to live, the curse of the first born will arise." Spud looked apologetic. "I don't think I'm strong enough to fight back that kind of power."_

"_I am," guilt was clear in the older brother's voice. "If I had just taken the throne, none of this would be happening."_

"_I told you, this isn't your fault," Spud assured him. "You have the right to live your own life."_

"_And me doing so may cause you yours!" Johnathan yelled. Spud didn't seem to know how serious his crime was. _

"_Brother," Spud spoke softly. "That's a sacrifice, I'm willing to make. _But_," he stressed, "it won't come to that. I'll take care of the problem."_

"No," Trixie shook her head as she protested. "It's not right for him to think you're dead. I want him to know who you are. I want you in his life."

"I appreciate that. I know the way I left, _how_ I left, gives you every right to be mad at me. But the three of you here in front of me, smiling and happy to see me," he sighed, lowering his head, "it more than I expected."

"Hey," Jake gave the other a friendly a punch on the leg. "You should know us better than that. No matter what you did, what you do, who you are, it's always going to be friends for life."

"And friends for real," Trixie finished their vow.

"_You say that, but don't forget, that the people you love most in this world, call that problem part of their family."_

"_Yes." He understood. "I also can't forget the fact that when I kill the boy, I'll lose them, but if I don't and he calls on The Power of Ari, I could lose them anyway. And I rather have them alive and hate me for the rest of their lives than dead for the rest of mine," he told his brother before walking out the kitchen and into the living room. _

"I've missed you guys so much," Spud told them again softly, sadness buried deep within his eyes.

OoOoO

Haley walked into the kitchen. On the table her dad had prepared dinner. She grabbed a plate and started scoping some macaroni and cheese into it.

"All this time, you knew," Jake walked into the kitchen and closed the door behind him. "You were never going to tell me, were you?" he asked and she said nothing. "Haley!" he barked when he didn't get an immediate response.

Haley placed her plate on the table and turned around to greet her brother. "I wasn't the only one with secrets, Jake," she made him aware. "You had plenty of opportunity to tell me about Spud. And not once did you mention him."

"I didn't think you remembered him," he replied honestly. "I thought you would think I had gone off my rocker or something."

"You could have still talked to me." She pointed to herself. "I would have told you everything, if you had just confident in me. And I would have told you about this." She then reached into the collar of her shirt and showed him the black pendant around her neck.

"The Jewel of Eskaw," he whispered.

"I would have told you, that you could have taken it off any time and you still would have remembered him. . . because he's our family."

"That's what I don't understand. Why wasn't I told? If you could handle the truth why not me?" he wanted to know.

"Because he was afraid," she spoke of Spud's fears. "Afraid you would come after him. He thought, if you knew, you would try to find a way to him and get obsessed with it."

"I wouldn't have-"

"Yes, you would have," she cut him off. "You don't see it about yourself, but you aren't _you_ when you get obsessed about something. Nothing else matters when you set a goal. It doesn't matter who you hurt trying to achieve it. Even if you're only hurting yourself."

Jake's eyes widen at his sister's take on him. "I'm-" he began, his anger slipping away. "I'm not like that," he knew he was lying.

Haley sighed and sat down. She picked up a fork and played with her food, suddenly not hungry anymore. "Things haven't been easy for me either Jake," she admitted before her brother sat down next to her.

"I know, but things are better now," he tried to tell her.

She scoffed. "Are they?" She looked to him. "When was the last time you had a _real_ conversation with Dad. Or grandpa for that matter?" she asked him. "I even bet Trixie had to drag you here today." Jake rested his chin in hand as he looked up at the ceiling for a moment.

Haley shook her head. "I just want us all to be a family again. I mean, don't you miss that? Even just a little?"

"Of course I do, but you act as if I'm the one who started this?" Jake wanted to remind her. "Gramps is ashamed of me."

"That's not true. He would never say that." Haley was convinced.

"He never wanted mom to marry dad because he was human. He didn't want his precious bloodline tainted. In his eyes _we_ are tainted," he made clear. "And who knows what he'll think when he learns Dad may not even be human." Jake took a slight pause. "Fuck!" he suddenly yelled. "I don't even know if we're human!" Jake took a hard breath before leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. "What the hell are we, Haley, huh?"

Haley lowered her head. "I don't know," she said softly. "I never bothered to ask."

There were several moments of silence before one of them spoke again. "I love Trixie," Jake confessed out of the blue, causing his sister to once again look at him. "And there was no way, I was going to let her go and be with Greggy. I fought with everything I had to win her back," he spoke. He then took his crossed arms and placed them on the table before leaning his head on top of them. "But Spud is back now and. . ." he trailed off.

"How do you compete with someone's first love?" Haley finished the other's thought.

"Me and Trix, we have issues," he scoffed, "and lots of them, but there is nothing I wouldn't do for her." He then closed his eyes as the next words were hard to say, but true. "Even if that means letting her go. Because she may not always admit it, but it's always been Spud and Trixie."

"Do you really think, she would just cast aside everything she has with you for Spud?" Haley asked.

"That's just it. I don't know. I mean, I left her for Rose, so what would stop her from leaving me to be with Spud?" he wondered out loud. "I'm happy Spud is back and that he's okay, I am!" he assured his sister. "But him being back just leaves so many things up in the air. I don't know how to feel."

"Trust in Trixie," Haley offered. "She may surprise you."

Just then Trixie came through the door. Jake sat up as she came over to him. "What are you guys doing in here?" she asked.

Haley shook her head. "Just talking."

"Well, after you finish eating, Spud wants to go out. He's craving a pizza from that spot on sixty-eighth street," she let them know. "And I was thinking we could hit up a movie. Spud has missed so much." Trixie couldn't stop smiling. "God, I love having him back," she said before heading back in the living room to talk with Spud again.

OoOoO

It was nearing four in the morning as Spud stood outside the home of his two best friends. Tonight, spending time with them, meant more to him than they would ever know. They, along with Haley had gone and grabbed a few slices of pizza, they then headed to the movies where they caught a show.

And for a while, a small moment in time, it was like nothing had changed. It was like they were fourteen years old, just enjoying life growing up in the city. Spud was able to put aside who he was and what he had to do, for one night, and for that he would forever be grateful to them.

He sighed. Him coming home was suppose to be a happy occasion for them all, but a raincloud appeared above Spud's head the moment he heard there was a first born. All Spud had really planned for this trip was to spend some time with his friends and ask Trixie to come back with him, to stand by his side as his Queen. But that was out of the question now. "She said she would wait for me," there should have been sadness in voice as he said it, but there was anger within it.

He remembered their first and only night together, how she had promised to wait for him, even if she didn't understand exactly what she was saying to him. The thought of one day being with her again, is what got him through many a nights in his own dimension. She was the love of his life, so the idea of trying to love any other woman, seemed impossible. Hell, he had even tried it before. He remembered being fascinated with a girl named Stacey, when he was younger, but in the end, she was no Trixie. But Trixie had had a life without him, loved a man that wasn't him. He didn't know how to handle that.

Suddenly, Spud felt hurt, betrayed even. But he knew, most likely, he would never see her or Jake again after this, so any emotional ties he had to them, had to be severed here, or he would never have the stomach for what had to be done next.

Spud took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and whispered an incantation. Within a moment, he stood inside the home of his childhood friends. He walked up the stairs and down the hall.

There were several closed doors and he was careful to be quiet as he opened each one trying to find Jeremiah's room. He found the master bedroom first. He frowned as he felt his heart ache at the sight of Trixie and Jake sleeping peacefully. Trixie with her arm protectively around Jake.

_It should have been me_, he thought, jealously running through his blood. Trixie was always suppose to be his. He knew it the moment they met, even if they were only children. Spud then slowly closed the door and headed to the next door across the hall.

There he finally found the sleeping child. He was beautiful. And as he slept, he could see so much of his mother within him. Spud stood over him for a moment before reaching out and gently stroking his curly hair. He then wondered, if he and Trixie's other children would have looked this precious as they slept. And as he realized, he would never know that answer, his eyes flashed gold.

He straightened up and rose his hand above his head, a spell on his lips as he looked to be grabbing an invisible rope and pulling it down. With the spell completed, he knew nothing would be heard outside this room.

Spud then leaned back over the sleeping child and touched his face with both his hands. Another spell was whispered as he slowly lifted his hands away. A blue smoke escaped from the child's mouth, as Spud stole his life force. But before Spud could complete his task. Jeremiah's eyes suddenly opened and most of his life force was sucked back into him.

Panic invaded Jeremiah's body as this strange man stood over him. "Get away from me!" he yelled. He went to push Spud away and a bright light shot from his hands sending Spud flying to the other side of the room. "Who are you?! What do you want?!" Jeremiah demanded, the light around his hands not disappearing as quickly as they had with Jake.

Spud stood up as he wiped the blood from his mouth with the back on his hand. "I see some of your powers are already coming to you. I wasn't expecting that," he admitted.

"Who are you?!" Jeremiah demanded again.

"Don't be foolish," Spud's voice was calm as he spoke. "With your powers, you gain knowledge of your history."

Jeremiah seemed confused for a moment before looking down at the light he held in his hands. "This is the gift of Ariel, first born daughter of Empire Ezekiel." Jeremiah looked frighted for a moment. Not knowing how he knew that.

"Yes, the Power of Ari," Spud confirmed. "And do you know who I am?" he asked.

"No," the young boy answered truthfully.

Spud's hands suddenly came aglow with a dark purple light and before Jeremiah could register what was happening, he found himself glued to the wall behind him. He watched as Spud walked towards him. He began to shake as Spud's hand gripped his throat and slowly began to squeeze. "I am King Arthur, one of the seven kings of the Dinya dimension. Descendant of Empire Ezekiel himself. Now," he squeezed just a little bit harder, "again. Who am I?" he asked.

Jeremiah's expression filled with fear, but he now knew the answer, ". . . _Father_."

To Be Continued. . .

* * *

**A/N:** Okay, I have an idea for the next chapter, but I'm not sure if it should be its own chapter or not. If you have read my Harry Potter story 'Tulip in the Sand', think chapter 23. That's kind of what I want to go for. A story within a story, based on Ariel, and the Power of Ari. Here's hoping I can make it work.


	37. Our Curse

**A/N:** Okay, we're going to go back a little, but the last part does pick up where chapter 36 left off. And sorry for the delay in posting this, it just took me awhile to figure out exactly how I wanted to go about it.

Now I only have three more chapters to go! I'm so excited. I even know what I want to name the last chapter. =D

* * *

Posted: April 7, 2010

**Chapter Thirty-seven: Curse**

The four friends piled out of the movie theater, along with dozens of the other patrons who had seen the comedy with them. With the distraction of the crowd, Spud took the opportunity to take Trixie's hand. She looked surprised as she watched Spud place his index finger to this month, before leading her in the opposite direction towards a different exit.

Outside the cool wind greeted them as the moon, high in its orbit, illuminated their features. "Jake is going to come looking for us," Trixie spoke as she leaned against the building and crossed her arms.

Spud shrugged as he took the space beside her and mimicked her movements. He smiled down at her. "I only need a few minutes," he began. "It's been too long, I've just missed you." Trixie couldn't help the sudden rush of heat she felt on her cheeks at just simply standing next him. She then smiled sadly, lowering her eyes towards the ground, as she remembered that this was only a visit for him. "Can I ask you something?" Spud wondered, causing Trixie to look up at him.

"Of course."

He took a deep breath. "Neither of us are who we used to be," his voice was somber. "And to think so would be an delusion, but I need you to know, that the way I feel about you, has never changed." He turned his body towards her. "My return, isn't just for the sake of a visit."

"I kind of figured that." Trixie, in reply, turned her body towards him. "I know, what you want of me, but I'm not sure if I can."

Spud reached out and stroked Trixie's cheek. She closed her eyes as she felt his touch. "Do you need me to say it? Do you need me to make it real?" Trixie once again looked at him at the question. "Come to Dinya with me and be the queen you have always been in my eyes."

"Spud, I just can't drop everything I've ever known and just leave. Do you know what that would do to Jake? And what would I do about Jerry? Though I would want him with me, ripping him from Jake would be cruel."

"I understand your concern, but there is no need to be-"

"Excuse me?" Trixie snapped. "You want me _not _to be concern about my husband and child?"

Spud's brow furrowed. "That's not how I meant. Come on now, Jake isn't stupid, I'm sure he's put together why I've come back. He knows how I feel for you."

"How you feel for me?" She looked at him in disbelief. "How about how I feel for Jake?" she asked, causing Spud's face to slowly fall at what her question implied. "Don't look at me like that." She turned her gaze away from him, not able to stand the sudden hurt within his expression. "I mean, it's been over a decade. What did you expect?"

"I- I expected you to keep your promise. That night you said you would wait for me."

"I didn't even understand what you had made me promise!" she admitted. "And then that morning, you left me alone and naked and some hotel room, without so much as a note from you. Do you know how horrible that made me feel?"

The man before her looked apologetic. "If I could-"

"Shut up!" she yelled at him. "And listen to me," she demanded. "You made me feel special," her voice had become soft, "you made me think you cared about me and then you turned around and made me feel like some kind of cheap whore." Trixie took a staggered breath before lowering her head. Spud could do nothing at first as he watched the tears roll down her face. He then just simply took her in his arms and held her close. "You're a bastard," she whispered as she buried her face in his chest.

"I never meant for you to feel that way, not when that night meant so much to me," he confessed. "My test for the throne was brutal. There were moments where I thought I wouldn't survive, but then I remembered what I was fighting for. It wasn't for some crown, or some fancy title, it was for this moment right here. For the moment I could hold you again."

Trixie then slowly began to shake her head as she pulled away. "No, I can't do this," she decided. "And I won't."

Spud suddenly looked desperate. "If you are worried about Jake, it will take a some looking into, since he is blood related to me, but I can make it so that we never existed to him."

Trixie looked at him in complete shock. "Are you out of your fucking mind?" the question had come out of her mouth before she could think. "Do you not remember Jake's complete breakdown after his mother's death?" Spud's shoulders dropped. "Do you remember how bad it was?" Spud nodded, his throat suddenly becoming dry. "Now imagine us not there. What do you see?"

"An unstable dragon in a city of ashes." There was then silence for a good moment before Spud spoke again. "I don't know what you want me to do then."

"Just stay. Stay with us," she asked of him.

"Please, don't say things like that. I'm so tempted to," he admitted. "But I have other duties, that I can not abandon."

"What about the duty of friendship? What about the vow we all made? You broke that."

"No!" Spud yelled suddenly. "Do you not see me standing here? Do you not see me trying to make it right?" he questioned.

"You asking me to abandon Jake, makes nothing right," she tried to tell him.

"Trixie please," he moved in closer to her, trying to sound calm. "Before you completely shut me down, I just need you to think about it. Just think about it." He then slowly leaned down and kissed her lips. Despite herself, Trixie closed her eyes, as tears escaped from them.

A moment later, they heard a throat being clear. Trixie jumped at the sound and quickly turned around to see Jake at the exit door. He just looked at her, his expression sad. "Uh, I-" he began and stopped.

Trixie felt horrible as Jake struggled with what to say. "Jake, this isn't-" Jake held up his hand, and her words fell dead.

"I'll be in the car with Haley," he finally said, and went back into the building.

Trixie looked at Spud, slightly shook her head and then ran after Jake.

OoOoO

Emperor Ezekiel was one of the seven kings of the Dinya dimension. War had raged between the kingdoms century after century and there seem to be no sign of peace on the horizon.

The Emperor had two children, twin daughters by the names of Ariel and Leela. Though twins, they neither looked alike nor had the same qualities. Ariel, being the first born, by four minutes, was groomed as a warrior, for she would one day take the name of Empress, and so would continue to defend their land like those who came before her. She had long red hair, and dull green eyes, which once used to be so bright before they were darken by the sight of one too many battles. Her personality was of a stoic nature. She was not quick to anger or make a rash decision, but when her calm demeanor failed her, there weren't many who didn't know it.

Leela, had short black hair and fierce brown eyes. Unlike her sister, her crown was always upon her head, but contrary to the belief, she had no desire for the throne. As far as she was concerned, that was her sister's duty, hers was more of the political nature. She was often the one in long meetings with counselors and advisers. Resources were running low, and the villagers were the ones suffering. "This war must end," was always her goal.

"This war is older than time," Ariel told her. "You alone will not be able to end it."

"And neither will you!" she countered. "Not with swords, or magic, or blood."

"I have a better chance of ending this war than you with your silly notions of peace. This war will not be won with talk or paper." Ariel spoke softly.

"You act as if I have never seen war. As if I had never stood by you and father on the battlefield," Leela pointed out. "There has to be a better way and I will find it."

"The only way this will end is if there is only one ruler of Dinya."

"I don't believe that."

Ariel shook her head. "It doesn't matter what you you believe. It's true." She then began to walk away.

"I plan on proving you wrong!" Leela called out after her sister.

The red head scoffed. "How?"

"I-" she paused. "I plan on taking the throne."

"What?" she turned back to her. "You never wanted to rule."

"No," she agreed. "I never have, but I will not watch another group of soldiers, younger than we are, head off towards battle." She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. "Come our eighteen birthday, I will take the test for the throne as well."

"You have gone mad," Ariel looked at the other in disbelief. "You have not seen battle since you were thirteen. How do you expect to compete against me?" A moment later two balls of dark purple energy came barreling towards her. She blocked them with her own powers, which gave off a white and yellow color. She then looked at her sister in shock.

Leela stood before her, her hands aglow with the dark light. "Do not think me weak," she warned in a low voice before putting her hands together. The the light grew until it surrounded her body and then she vanished.

Ariel only frowned. . . she had never learned transportation.

OoOoO

Jake and Trixie had dropped Spud off at his sister's and Haley back at Johnathan's. The long car ride home was filled with nothing more than the sound of silence. When they finally arrived home, Jake got out of the car and walked towards the house as if he couldn't get away from Trixie fast enough. He slammed the front door behind him and headed straight upstairs. Trixie came in a moment later, Jerry, who had been in the living room, watching tv, greeted her there. "Mom?" he looked concern.

"It's okay, sweetie," she reassured him. "Just go finish watching your show."

"Are you sure?" he asked. Trixie smiled at him before nodding her head and then going upstairs, but Jerry had not moved. He stayed right there, in case he was needed.

Trixie found Jake sitting calmly on his side of the bed, hes fingers laced as he leaned on his legs. She stood in front of him. "Jake?" she said softly.

"I don't want to hear it," his voice was cold and detached.

Trixie signed before getting on her knees before him. He slightly turned his head away from her. "Please, don't be like this," she begged of him as she rested her hands on his knees. "Just look at me." He honored her request and when he did, Trixie slightly jerked back. His expression was so emotionless that it had taken her by surprise. Jake was such an emotional creature, so to see nothing on his face, was frightening.

"What?" the sound was crisp and sharp leaving his mouth. Trixie went to speak, but realized she didn't know what to say. "Forget it," Jake spoke when she took too long. "I don't even know if I care about what you're going to say. Want to know why?" He once again waited for a response, but none came. "I thought we were passed this."

The woman before him looked at him curiously. "Passed what?"

Jake scoffed. "You, trying to hurt me." And in that moment, pain could be read in his expression. "I made one mistake. _One_," he stressed. Trixie didn't have to ask what that mistake was. It was the mistake that would always have her question him. "Sometimes, I can't help, but to think, if I had been more devoted. If I had just let Rose go, maybe you would have never had a reason to cheat on me. Maybe we would not have lost six years of your marriage. Jerry would be calling me dad, instead of Gregory. And maybe, just maybe, you would be able to say no to Spud, because you loved me."

"It's not that I don't love you-" she tried to explain.

"But how does a dragon compete with your knight in shining armor?" the words came out like acid.

Outraged at what he said, Trixie stood. "No, it wasn't like that!"

"How was it not like that?" he wondered, slightly pushing her back so that he could stand. "You knew I would come looking for you. Don't you think it's already eating me up inside that our future is up in the air now that Spud is back? Did you honestly think I needed that concreted into my head?!" he yelled down at her.

"I wasn't trying to hurt you," she said truthfully. "We were just talking and-"

"I know what you were talking about," he cut her off, his shoulders falling, as if in defeat. "So when are you leaving?"

OoOoO

It's was Ariel's eighteenth birthday. She was in her room dressed as a commoner as she prepared for her test for the throne. There came a knock at the door. "Come in," she called as she packed a few things into a brown knapsack.

"Mi'lady?" came the soft voice of a person Ariel knew all too well.

She smiled as she turned to greet him. "Eskaw, my friend." She hurried over to him and gave him a hug. "What are you doing here?" she asked as he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Today is the first day of your quest. I'm not going to see you for many years. You know I had to come and wish you luck," he told her.

"That is so sweet of you," she told him before going back to her things. "I guess you heard about Leela as well?"

Eskaw nodded his head as he pulled up a chair beside her bed. "Yes, and I must say, it came as a great surprise to me."

"It came to a great surprise to many people." She sat down on the bed. "Her battle skills are not like mine. I looked at the list of the trophies of the creatures we must collect from. She has not trained for many of them. How does she expect to pass? How does she expect to survive?"

"You are worried about her," the red headed man realized.

She looked at him in disbelief. "Of course I am, what kind of sister would I be if I were not?"

"I understand," he told her. "It's just, you have no time to worry about her. This quest is designed to test you in the most horrible ways. If you don't remain focused on your goal, you may not come back."

Ariel lowered her head. "I have never let my emotions get the better of me. I won't now," she assured him.

Eskaw smiled. "It does me good to hear that. Because upon your return, I plan on asking your father for your hand."

Ariel's head snapped in his direction. She gave him a long hard look before breaking out into a smile, her cheeks turning red as he smiled back. "Eskaw," she whispered.

"Don't look so surprised." He walked over to her and pulled a small box out of his pocket. He then opened the box. "A little something for you. As a token of my love."

Ariel reached for what rested inside, it was a black cubed shaped pendant on a silver chain. "It's beautiful," she told him. She then read the inscription, which were in red letters. She giggled. "You remembered."

Eskaw shrugged. "How could I forget?" He then took it from her. "Here, let me put it on you. Promise me you'll never take it off."

"I promise," she replied as it hung around her neck.

"Good." He then took her in his arms. "Now all you have to do is come back to me alive."

"I promise that too," she said as she returned his hug.

OoOoO

It had taken her longer than she had planned, but after nearly seven long years, Ariel finally began your journey home. It wasn't easy living like a commoner when she had been raised as a royal. She had to earn her own way in the world. She had taken any work that had come her way, and the money she earned, went towards killing the twenty creatures, she had been assigned to collect trophies from, each more dangers than the last.

Many of nights had been spent, hunting, tracking, stalking. Sleep had been rare and on some occasions so had food. But what had gotten her through was the thought of one day returning home. This day.

As she approached the castle gate she was stopped by two guards. To prove her identity she pulled out the royal ring of her line. She used to wear it on her left pinky finger, but she had lost that three years ago. She remembered spending a week looking for her severed finger so that she could recover the ring. The battle with the Chimera she had lost it to had been one of her more difficult quest.

Upon walking into the royal chamber she was greeted with an unexpected sight. Leela was sitting upon her father's throne. Leela gave a strange look to the woman who had just entered the room, but immediately recognized her sister. She stood, her crown, marking her as Queen, resting upon her head as if it had always been there. "Welcome home," Leela greeted Ariel with a soft smile as she approached her.

"What is going on?" Ariel asked, now noticing the swell of her sister's stomach. "Where is father? And what is that on your head?"

"You should rest. I imagine your journey has been long," Leela said.

"Imagine?" Ariel looked at her curiously. "Why would you have to imagine something you have been though as well?"

"My love," came a voice behind them entering the room. His head was down as he looked at some parchment in his hands. "I just got word for the Draco Kingdom, they have agreed-" he stopped short as he finally looked up and saw the woman before him. "Ari," he whispered.

"Eskaw." Ariel couldn't help the smile that came to her face as she saw him for the first time in years, but then she noticed something. The small crown upon his head. She turned back to her sister. "What the hell is going on?!" she demanded to know.

"Ari please, calm down. I will explain everything," she promised her.

After sitting down with her sister, Leela went on to explain what had happened. Their father had died in battle a few days after they had started their test for the throne. The Elite Palace Guards were sent by the Royal Advisers to come and find them and bring them home.

Leela was found in a village a days' journey away from the castle. They had searched for Ariel for over a year before giving up, assuming her dead, and forcing Leela to take the throne. When she became of marrying age, the advisers selected Eskaw, as he was the obvious choice, since he had already been approved by their father. They were not in love at first, but love soon followed. Ariel could only stare as she watched her sister absentmindedly bring her hand up to touch the black pendant around her neck. The one that was identical to the one she wore now, the one she had promised never to take off.

Leela then went on to explain, how the war was soon coming to an end. She had been meeting with the other Kings and Emperors to set up treaties. The war had done a lot of damage, had eaten up so many resource, and had cost too many lives. Most of them were hesitate and suspicious at first, thinking it was some kind of trap, but if all seven could come into agreement, they would sign for peace. It had been two years of negotiating in the works, but the Draco Kingdom had finally accepted all the terms of the treaty.

Ariel sat there in complete shock as she let everything sink in. Her father was dead. Her sister, who never even finished the test now set upon the throne. The man, whom she loved, whom she thought she would be marrying, was already married to her sister, and they were having a child together. And the war she had been fighting in, for longer than she could remember would soon no longer exist.

Ariel realized she no longer had a purpose in this world and it was all Leela's fault. This second born child, who had stolen her rightful birthplace. Ariel had been through so much in the last seven years and now learned it was all for nothing.

She became outraged, tears streaming down her cheeks as she leaped across the table and attacked her sister. Leela was quick to defend herself. Blocking the other's energy attacks as they came towards her. The commotion soon had the Elite Palace Guards coming into the room.

Ariel, not in her right mind, had nothing but Leela in her line of sight, so she was stunned when she was attacked by the guards, her hands bound so she could not use her magic. She screamed and yelled to be released.

Leela asked her advisers what she should do. It was clear to them, that the news had been too much for her. That she would have to be committed for a time, until she was better. Leela agreed and told the guards to have her sent to the far end of the kingdom, where they had the finest doctors to give her the proper care.

As the guards carried her away, Ariel's voice became calm as she began to speak. All turned to her, her demeanor strange. Leela's eyes grew wide as she listen closely to her sister's words. She became panic as she told the guards to cover her mouth, to not let her speak, but it was too late, the enchantment was complete.

OoOoO

Spud stepped through a portal and deeply inhaled the air of his home world. It was nightfall as he walked through the forest and came to a clearing where his winged horse resided. He threw the large bundle he had with him onto the creature's back before getting on himself and taking off.

About ten minutes into his flight, the bundle began to squirm. "Struggle any harder and you'll fall off," Spud warned.

"What do you want with me?" Jerry asked angrily.

"Thought you were suppose to be smart?" Spud wondered. "Isn't it clear? You're going to help me. . . _end our curse_."

To Be Continued. . .

* * *

**A/N:** Okay, for those who missed it. The reason Johnathan couldn't bring Susan with him to Dinya was because she was of Dragon blood and one of the kingdoms in Dinya is made of dragons. . . and Grandma wasn't having that.

**A/N: 4-8-2010:** You know what I just realized? I had three Jewels of Eskaw, and I only worked in two, didn't I? Dammit! Let's just pretended he made the third one a lot later, okay? Okay! =D


	38. A New Adventure

Posted: August 07, 2010

**Chapter Thirty-eight: A New Adventure**

"You did what?" her voice was calm, dignified as it always was, but Spud could hear the anger behind his grandmother's words. "You brought the cursed child here?" She simply just didn't understand. "And from what I understand, the Power of Ari-"

"I know," he interrupted her. "But I have a plan."

"This better be good," she demanded and as he explained it to her, her face slightly paled. She slowly backed away from him before bumping into to a seat and sitting down. "You've gone mad," she concluded.

"Maybe," he agreed. "But it will break the curse. Hopefully," he added.

"And if it doesn't?" she asked.

He walked over to his grandmother, fell to his knees and laid his head on her lap. "Then I hope you can forgive me."

OoOoO

Jake stretched as he woke from a long night's sleep. His eyes opened to see Trixie still sleeping next to him. He smiled almost in disbelief. Their argument the night before had been bad. End of a relationship bad, but here she was, still next to him and all he could feel was relief. Apart from some moments here and there, their lives for the last few years had been happy. The thought of her just giving that up, had snapped something inside of him last night. But he would put his faith in her and hope for the best.

He then found himself gently running his fingers across her dark skin. "I love you so much," he confessed.

And then, as if they had been magic words, Trixie opened her eyes. Jake removed his hand and they were silent for a moment. "Are you still mad?" she finally asked.

"No," he replied.

"Why do you lie?" she asked. "You're not very good at it. Your eye kind of twitches, when you're not telling the truth," she informed him. "You don't want me to go. You've made that very clear last night."

"Alright, I'm angry," he let me known. "But if this is what you want, who am I to stop you?"

"Who are you?" she looked at him like he had just spoken a foreign language. "You're my husband, and you're also my best friend. I _need_ you to be okay with this."

And at those words, Jake's heart sunk, as he realized she was really going to leave him for Spud.

"I- I'll do whatever makes you happy," he could feel himself choking up. "What will we tell Jerry?" he wanted to know.

"Jerry?" Trixie wondered out loud as if she hadn't given a thought about him.

"He's going to wonder why you're suddenly leaving me for Spud?" Jake voiced his concerned.

Trixie suddenly sat up. "Wait, what?" Jake sat up as well. "What are you talking about?"

"Our son," he didn't understand her confusion.

Trixie let out an amused chuckle. "Son? Jake we don't have kids?" she told him.

Jake then responded with a phrase she hadn't heard him say in years. "Say what?"

"And what's Spud and why do you think I'm leaving you for it?" she asked.

Jake's expression became harden. "Don't play with me," he threaten. "Spud is our best friend since childhood. Jerry is his kid, whom we've been raising together." Trixie only sat there and shook her head from side to side. She then suddenly screamed as the front of her night gown was quickly slashed opened. "The Jewel of Eskaw," he whispered as he realized it was gone.

Jake then jumped out of bed and ran across the hall as he screamed Jerry's name. The bedroom door swung open with a loud crack. Jake had hoped to see what he had always seen almost every morning, which was usually a sleeping boy under a mound of blankets. He expected to see a tv in the corner, constantly set to Cartoon Network. Dirty clothes on the floor, with the lingering smell of funky socks.

But that's not what he got. What he got was a home office. A desk in the corner with his and her matching laptops sitting on them. Along the walls stood several bookcases. They were filled with Trixie's medical books, and a few with their collection of DVDs. And the smell? Jake cringed. Febreeze!

"Boy, what the hell are you tripping on?" Trixie yelled, clinging her night gown closed in front of her chest. "Because you must be high." She then gasped when she saw the door hanging off the hinges and slightly jumped when it fell off and hit the floor. "Have you lost your ever loving mind?"

"This can't be happening," Jake whispered to himself, running his fingers through his disheveled hair. He then turned to Trixie. "What were we just talking about?" he asked her.

"Okay, Jakey," concern started to fill her eyes, "I think there is something really wrong here, you-"

"What were we talking about?" he demanded.

"Hey! You will not stand here and yell at me like I'm some disobedient dog. Do you understand me, Jake Long?" she screamed back.

Jake lowered his head. "I know, I apologize," he said calmly. "Please, what were we talking about?"

"The same thing we were talking about last night," she began. "My job offer in California. Me going out there alone for a few years, and you staying here in New York. At least until Haley was ready to take your title as the American Dragon. Though I still don't understand why you have to stay here to do that. It's not like California isn't apart of the US."

"You weren't leaving me for another man?"

Trixie chuckled again, but this time nervously. "Where are you getting this stuff?" she wondered. "You're starting to scare me a little. Seriously, this time, are you high?"

"No. I just need to contact Haley. She'll remember," he said, heading back to the bedroom they shared.

"Okay, now I'm just getting pissed. What the hell am I missing here?" Trixie followed him and watched as he found something to put on.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," he tried to tell her.

"You're kidding me, right?" she crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm married to a guy who's part dragon. What would I not believe?"

Jake stopped what he was doing and walked over to his wife. He took a hold of her arms and then took a deep breath. "The world that you think we live in, is nothing more than an alternate reality, brought on by a guy named Spud, who's real name isn't Spud, but Arthur, he's a prince, well I should say a king, of a dimension called Dinya, and you two were childhood sweethearts, though it took you forever to admit it, when you did, you got pregnant and he left, leaving this dimension in an alternate reality, that had no recollection of him, except for you, me, his sister, and Haley, though at the time, I didn't know she knew and that is the reality we had been living in since we were eighteen, you had a son at that age named Jerry, who we told people was mine." He shook his head from side to side. "No one believed he was mine, then news of Rose surfaced, I got all obsessed, I neglected you, told you I didn't love you, and you cheated on me for it, so I left for about seven years, and when I came back, I wanted you back, I never blamed you for cheating, it was my fault, then recently Spud came home, wanting to take you back with him to Dinya, that is what we were _really_ arguing about last night, but this morning, I woke up to find that he took Jerry instead and your Jewel of Eskaw which is why you don't remember anything now." Jake then took another deep breath.

The woman in front of him, stared at him for a good minute. "Yeah," she finally drew out. "That one's a little hard to shallow."

Jake shrugged as he let her go. "I told you." He then picked up the shirt he had abandon on the bed. "I have to find Haley. She'll know what to do."

"She should still be at Papa Dog's. I don't think she was heading out, back to Cambridge, until tomorrow," she informed him.

"I'm going to take the skies," he informed her as he walked towards the window and lifted the pane. He noticed the dark rain clouds and hoped he got there before it started to pour, and with it being the middle of winter there was a good chance of snow. He was about to change forms when he felt Trixie take a hold of his arm. He turned to look at her.

"I cheated on you?" she asked, her expression pained as she couldn't imagine herself doing that.

Jake took a hold of her face with both his hands and gently kissed her lips. "In this reality, you have always been true to me."

Trixie shook her head. "I'm not sure if I comforted by that."

"I am," he whispered in reply. "If I hadn't been stupid. If I had just loved you from the start, our biggest problem would have been some silly move across the country." He then rested his forehead on top of hers and closed his eyes. "A part of me wants to be selfish. To just let Spud have his son. To have you all to myself and never have you remember all the pain I caused you."

"It sounds like I caused you pain as well. Did you know him?" Trixie suddenly asked.

"Know who?" He looked at her curiously.

"Who I cheated on you with?" She was really disturbed by the discovery.

Jake debated what to tell her. He avoided eye contact as he lied. "No," he whispered, but the betrayal behind that simple word was clear. Trixie found she could do nothing but wrap her arms around him and hold him tight. "I got to go," he told her as he slowly pushed her away. He changed into his dragon form and flew out the window.

"Dammit," Trixie whispered to herself, before she turned to get dressed herself.

OoOoO

Haley had been sleeping in her childhood bedroom when she was violently shaken awake by her older brother, who looked like he had just gotten out of bed. "Eww, your breath stinks!" she pinched her nose.

Jake covered his mouth with his hand, his cheeks tinging pink. "I was in a hurry," he explained.

His little sister yawned. "Well, I'm up. What do you want?" she asked.

"Jerry's gone, Spud took him," he told her.

"Oh, God." Her eyes widen. "Jake this is bad."

He cocked an eyebrow. He then rapidly shook his head, as if trying to shake the confusion away. "Also, he took Trixie's Jewel of Eskaw. She doesn't remember anything about Spud or her son. And I'm not sure if I want that to change," he admitted.

"No, Jake, listen to me," the panic in her voice, sobered him up quickly. "There's something else I haven't told you."

"What?"

"I didn't think he had it in him," she seem to whisper to herself, not looking at the other.

"Haley, talk to me. What are you not telling me?" he wanted to know.

"He's going to kill him," she let the words slip out. Jake only stared at her, his expression urging her to go on. "It's the Power of Ari and the defense mechanism in our blood that kicks in. I've felt it, and I know you have too." Jake recalled his blackouts. "It will be strongest within Spud, since he is the father."

"I don't understand."

"It's a curse. From what I can understand, years ago a first born was denied the throne, taken by the second child. The first born, swore revenge. Her powers and her memory being transferred to every first born, of the second child's line. Over the generations, the second line evolved to counter the curse. For us they're like blackouts," she explained. "But for Spud, he will be aware and in control of what he is doing."

"What do we do?" he asked of her.

"We find a way to find Spud and stop him before it's too late," she told him.

"How do we know it's not already too late?" he wondered.

"Do you really think it would be easy for Spud to kill?" she asked him and he shook his head. "Then we have time, the curse doesn't come into full effect until the thirteenth birthday."

"Jerry's thirteenth birthday is less than two weeks away."

"I know," she replied. She then reached around her neck and and unclasped her necklace. She handed Jake her Jewel of Eskaw. "Give this to Trixie, hopefully once it is back on she will remember everything."

Jake looked at the jewel in his hand. "I'm not sure if I should. What if I give this to her and we lose Jerry? I don't want her to know the pain of his lost. Losing Francis was hard enough."

"You can't make those decisions for her. They are her memories and she deserves to have them, good or bad. Plus, you don't deserve to burden everything alone."

"I'm not alone," he smiled sadly. "I have you."

"Yeah, you do," she reassured him. "But what you need is Trixie. And without the memories you both shared, she will never be the Trixie you knew. She's lived a completely different timeline. You would be getting to know her all over again."

Jake nodded his head in understanding. "Thank you," he indicated the Jewel in his hand. He then stood and paced the length of the room. "How does one jump dimensions?" he thought out loud.

"Isn't there that spell using Krylock venom?" she asked him.

"Do you know how hard that stuff is to come by?"

"Well, Fu Dog use to have me practicing potions all the time. We could still have some in storage over at Grandpa's old shop."

"Alright, I'll go check it out," he headed towards the door.

"Wait, I'll come with you," she offered. "I was always better at potions than you. Just let me get dressed." She grabbed some clothes and headed towards the bathroom. "Jake!" she yelled a moment later from the other side of the bathroom door.

"Yeah?" he replied.

"Heads up," she called out and tossed some toothpaste in the air. "There's an extra toothbrush in my suitcase." She smiled at him.

Jake made a face. "Very funny."

OoOoO

Half an hour later the dragon siblings were inside their grandfather's old shop. Both were soaked to the bone as it had started raining on their way there. They were freezing as they headed to the back of the shop. Haley found some discarded paper and threw it into the fire place before taking a deep breath and breathing fire. They took a few moments to warm themselves. "You know what?" Haley began. "I don't think I've been in here since grandpa moved back to China."

"It's been longer than that for me," Jake realized. "So have you heard from him lately?" he asked curiously.

Haley nodded. "We talk from time to time. He's doing well, but you should call him." She moved away from the warm fire and began looking through the cabinets where they kept the ingredients for potions. "He's never really admitted it, but he misses you. So does Fu Dog, but he's a little more honest about it." She grabbed a bottle off of one of the shelves and turned to her brother. "I'm going to visit them this summer. If you want to go with me, all you have to do is say so," she offered.

"I may take you up on that," he said with a smile, which quickly disappeared. "But right now, we have other issues."

"Of course." She tossed him the bottle marked Krylock Vemon.

"Is it enough?" he asked out loud and opened it up to see. As soon as the lid came off, both quickly brought their hands to cover their noses.

"Dammit," Haley cursed. She took the bottle from Jake's hand and quickly poured it down the sink.

"Hey! What are you doing?" he yelled as their only chance of finding Spud and Jerry went down the drain.

Haley walked over to the other side of the room and opened a few windows. "It was no good, Jake. Making a potion with spoiled venom can be dangerous, and yield unexpected results."

"Ahhh!" Jake screamed, completely frustrated. He was racking his brains for ideas and nothing was coming.

"Calm down, Jake. We'll find another way," she tried to calm him.

"This is hopeless!" he declared, feeling on the verge of a breaking down. Just then his cell phone began to ring. He checked the caller ID. It was Trixie. He took a calming breath before greeting her. "Hey, baby girl."

"I'm at Papa Dog's. He says you and Haley left in an hurry, where are you?" she wanted to know.

Jake closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "At Gramp's shop."

"I'm on my way," was her reply before she hung up.

"Trixie?" Haley asked as she leaned on the counter. "What are you going to do?"

"What else can I do?" He sat on a stool. "You were right. You're always right," he pointed out. "I have to give her the Jewel of Eskaw."

OoOoO

"Jakey!" Trixie called out when she arrived at the shop. He and Haley walked up to the front to meet her. "You guys got it warm in here." She noticed as she peeled off her coat.

"We've just been thinking of ways to jump dimensions," Haley informed her. "Our only idea, didn't pan out."

Jake walked over to Trixie and took her hand. "We should talk." He then gave a glance to his sister.

"I'll just step outside." She threw on her own coat. "Don't take too long. It's cold out there."

"At least it stopped raining," Trixie smiled at her. Haley nodded in agreement before stepping out for some fresh air.

Trixie then looked to her husband. She watched as he pulled a necklace out of his pocket. "It's beautiful," she commented. "Where did you get it?"

"Hopefully," he adjusted the piece of jewelry around her neck. "You'll remember soon enough." He then clasped it together. Trixie shivered, as if cold, before taking a few shaky steps back. "Baby?" his voice filled with concern and with a touch of fear. He took a step towards her.

"Stay back," she warned before doubling over, her eyes closed tight as memory after memory came flooding back to her. "Oh, God," she cried as every happy moment and every soul breaking devastation flashed before her eyes. She then collapsed to the floor.

"Trixie!" Jake was by her side within the span of a heartbeat. "Haley!" he called her next, but she was out of earshot. He then heard Trixie moan. Relief filled him as she brought her hand up to the back of her head. "Are you okay?" he asked.

She sat up slowly, Jake helping her. "I'm fine," she assured him, although she still felt dizzy. "Just a little overwhelming. I still have the memories of the other life. The difference between them. . ." she trailed off her fingers gracing the jewel that once hung from Haley's neck.

Haley was across the street and around the corner in an alleyway. She brought her hand up to her face, snugged between two fingers was a lit cigarette. She brought it to her lips and gave it a long drag. It was a bad habit she had picked up a few years ago. It wasn't a regular thing, as she didn't do it everyday, it was mostly something she did when she was stressed. It didn't happen a lot, but today was an exception. How often do you find out your 'nephew' had been kidnapped.

She then took one last drag on her cigarette before dropping it into a puddle and watching the flame go out. At that moment, she felt the sun on her face, she tilted her head up and closed her eyes to feel it's warmth. If felt good to be home, back in the streets of New York. Don't get her wrong now, she loved her life in Massachusetts, where she was teaching at Harvard, but honestly it was just something to do until she got her title back. That is if she ever got it back. Jake was good at what he did and chances were by the time he was ready to give it up, the title would go to some up and comer.

Haley then noticed a rainbow in the distance. For obvious reasons, it made her think of Leprechauns and then the first Leprechaun trial Jake had taken her too. "Jesus!" a light bulb went off in her head and she took off towards the shop. "Jake!" she yelled. In the shop, Trixie was sitting down, a cup of water in her hand and Jake gently running his hand down the length of her arm. "Leprechauns!" she blurred out.

"What?" he said curiously.

"Remember back when you first became the American Dragon and you got all caught up with Leprechauns?" she asked and her brother nodded. "Didn't they have the ability to jump dimensions? Like twenty of them? Maybe one of them is Dinya."

Jake's month fell open. "Why did I never think of that?" he wondered, disgusted with himself. "It was right there, all the time. We could have gone after Spud years ago. We could have-"

"There's no time for that Jake." Haley shook him a little. "We have to get to the Leprechaun park."

"Right," he nodded his head. "Lets go."

"I'm coming with you," Trixie announced as she stood and placed her glass on the counter.

"I don't know about that," her husband voiced, still concerned over her well being.

"Do you really think I'm going to sit by and do nothing while you and Haley go after my son alone?" She walked towards her coat so she could put it on. "Now I know you're high," she concluded. "Now get in the car," she demanded.

"Yes, ma'am," was all Jake said before heading out the door. As he passed his sister he made a face as he heard the distinct sound of a whip.

OoOoO

Before long the three of them found themselves in Leprechaun territory speaking to the head of one of the clans there, who was more than happy to be helping out the American Dragon. "I know of the Dinya dimension, it's been a while since we have traded with them, but we still have the coordinates."

"We just need to know if you can get us there?" Jake wanted to know, his heart racing in his chest. Trixie reached out and touched his forearm and gave it a squeeze.

"I can get you there," he told them and relief washed over the trio.

They followed him to a clearing. He stretched out his arm and then his fingertips before closing his eyes. He took a few steps and made a 90 degree turn to his left. "There," he whispered. "Dinya." They then watched as a portal, made up of all the colors of the rainbow appeared from seemingly nowhere. When it was completed, it seem to shimmer. He walked over to Jake and handed him several four leaf clovers. "Eat them and they will return you home," he instructed. He then walked away.

The three stared at the hovering portal for a moment. It was then Haley who broke the silence. "Well, what are we waiting for?" she asked as she pulled out a hair tie and put her hair up. Then without anymore hesitation she changed into her dragon form and dived into the portal.

"I'm scarred," Jake admitted.

"I am too. I'm afraid of losing another child." Trixie lowered her hand towards the ground.

"No." He held her, and she rested her hand on his shoulder. "I won't let that happen. We'll find them. I promise." She breathed him in as she nodded. "We got to go," he told her as he slowly pulled away.

"You're right," she agreed, before she watched Jake take his sister's lead and changed into his dragon form.

"Hop on," he told her and she climbed onto his back. She held on tight as he spread his wings and charged towards the portal. As she felt the wind on her face, Trixie realized that this was start of something she hadn't been a part of in a long time. . . _a new adventure._

To Be Continued. . .

* * *

**A/N:** Can you believe it? Only two more chapters to go! Well, hopefully, I can do it in two chapters.


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